x
Breaking News
More () »

UPDATE: Police Release Victim’s Name in Hazleton Deadly Shooting

UPDATE: Police say Jorge Marrero, 35 of Hazleton, was killed in the shooting Thursday night. HAZLETON — A gunshot victim died after a shooting in Hazleton...

UPDATE: Police say Jorge Marrero, 35 of Hazleton, was killed in the shooting Thursday night.

HAZLETON -- A gunshot victim died after a shooting in Hazleton.

Police are calling this deadly shooting an execution. Police believe the victim was first shot on Alter Street.

The victim then tried running around the corner and up West Fourth Street near Emerald Court, but the shooter followed and in the middle of the sidewalk, shot him in the head.

Newswatch 16 was at the scene shortly after the gunfire broke out around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police say the gunfire erupted after a fight broke out among several people at Pence's on Alter Street, including the shooter and victim. Police searched overnight for shell casings and other evidence.

Police have not released the name of the victim.

People who heard the gunfire say they're afraid to leave their own homes.

Hazleton Police Chief Frank DeAndrea says his department is viewing surveillance video taken from Alter Street that shows the first time a gun is fired.

"The altercation takes place, flows into the middle of the street here. From the surveillance cameras we can see that a gunshot is fired."

Police don't have video yet of what happened next, but they found a trail of blood on the sidewalk that may tell the rest of the story. Police believe the trail shows the victim may have tried evading the shooter by running from Alter Street, going around the corner and up West Fourth Street. The shooter followed the victim, police believe, because they later found the victim lying there dead.

"I've seen two bullet holes in his head and then I seen one in his back. That pretty much did it," said Tyler Palermo.

"I'm in my kitchen, and we heard like a pop, like a fire popper going out, then like a scream, then followed by four or five more pops going off, like a fire cracker going off," said Hazleton resident Ronnie Hannah.

"This is an execution," said Hazleton Police Chief Frank DeAndrea. "And because of that, I implore anyone of these witnesses that was around or knows anything about this crime to contact the Hazleton Police Department. We have to take this killer off our streets."

So far, police have not said if they have any suspects, but they do have some security footage from a home near the shooting. They ask for any witnesses to come forward with information.

Before You Leave, Check This Out