The Bobster
Senior News Editor since 2004
https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking...0210421-kxr3wp42gva4ffc2vo6vnubwhi-story.html
Two dead, including shooter, in Upper Macungie incident that began on highway; trucker shot dead pumping gas at Wawa
By Jennifer Sheehan, Daniel Patrick Sheehan and Stephanie Sigafoos
The Morning Call |
Apr 21, 2021 at 12:28 PM
Authorities said a man shot at a woman’s car on Route 22, then followed her into a Wawa convenience store parking lot in Upper Macungie Township, where he shot and wounded a man in a car and fatally shot a truck driver who was pumping gas.
The shooter — identified as Za Uk Lian, 45, of South Whitehall — then fled on foot to a day care center about a quarter mile away on Route 100 and fatally shot himself in the chest, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said at a news conference outside the Wawa. His death was ruled a suicide by the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office, which said an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
Martin said the incident began around 4:48 a.m. after the woman, driving between Route 309 and Cedar Crest Boulevard, had an “encounter” with a man driving a white Corolla.
“A shot was fired at [the woman’s vehicle] by presumably the driver of that white Corolla,” he said, adding that the woman was not injured and didn’t know her car had been hit until she left the Wawa after getting food and saw a bullet hole in her car.
Martin said the driver of the Corolla pulled into the Wawa lot, drove up beside a Jeep and shot the driver, who suffered what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.
He then fatally shot the man pumping gas into a truck tractor. Peter Dannecker, vice president of risk at trucking company A. Duie Pyle, identified the victim as 31-year-old Ramon Ramirez of Allentown. The coroner ruled his death a homicide.
The shooter fled south on Route 100 to the day care center, where he shot himself in the hand and chest, Martin said.
No identifications will be confirmed until next-of-kin are notified, and the incident remains under investigation, Martin said.
A state trooper struck by a car as he helped with traffic control was treated at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest and released, Trooper Nathan Branosky said.
“We don’t believe at this point that that had anything to do with this incident here at the Wawa,” he added.
Martin commended the quick action of a Wawa employee who was taking out trash, saw what was happening, ushered two bystanders into the store and locked the doors.
Matthew Caldwell of Bethlehem said he saw the shooting unfold from the front seat of his car. He had stopped at Wawa to buy an energy drink before work and was sending a text before going inside when he heard shots.
”I heard a pop and slight pause,” he said. “I thought it was a motorcycle at first, but then I look over and see a short man in a hoodie. I didn’t get a good look at him because he had his back to me. Then he opened fire two or three more times into the Jeep next to me.”
Caldwell, 32, said he got out of his car and dropped to the ground. He looked over at the Jeep and saw the driver fall out of the vehicle, bleeding heavily and screaming for help.
Taking a chance that the shooter wouldn’t see him, Caldwell dashed to the store, where an employee ushered him in and locked all the doors. He watched people in the parking lot performing CPR on the truck driver.
”It’s surreal, is what I would say. In its purest definition it does not feel real,” Caldwell said. “Your instincts kick in and you don’t want to die. It’s just a lot of emotions right now. I felt like it was surreal and felt like it wasn’t really happening.”
The day care center was closed at the time of the shootings.
“Today an unfortunate situation occurred,” the center said in a Facebook post. “An active shooter was on foot and police took him into custody at our Brookside Parkland site. Everyone is SAFE.”
At least two dozen police vehicles from the township, surrounding municipalities and state police responded to the shooting.
Two dead, including shooter, in Upper Macungie incident that began on highway; trucker shot dead pumping gas at Wawa
By Jennifer Sheehan, Daniel Patrick Sheehan and Stephanie Sigafoos
The Morning Call |
Apr 21, 2021 at 12:28 PM
Authorities said a man shot at a woman’s car on Route 22, then followed her into a Wawa convenience store parking lot in Upper Macungie Township, where he shot and wounded a man in a car and fatally shot a truck driver who was pumping gas.
The shooter — identified as Za Uk Lian, 45, of South Whitehall — then fled on foot to a day care center about a quarter mile away on Route 100 and fatally shot himself in the chest, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said at a news conference outside the Wawa. His death was ruled a suicide by the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office, which said an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
Martin said the incident began around 4:48 a.m. after the woman, driving between Route 309 and Cedar Crest Boulevard, had an “encounter” with a man driving a white Corolla.
“A shot was fired at [the woman’s vehicle] by presumably the driver of that white Corolla,” he said, adding that the woman was not injured and didn’t know her car had been hit until she left the Wawa after getting food and saw a bullet hole in her car.
Martin said the driver of the Corolla pulled into the Wawa lot, drove up beside a Jeep and shot the driver, who suffered what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.
He then fatally shot the man pumping gas into a truck tractor. Peter Dannecker, vice president of risk at trucking company A. Duie Pyle, identified the victim as 31-year-old Ramon Ramirez of Allentown. The coroner ruled his death a homicide.
The shooter fled south on Route 100 to the day care center, where he shot himself in the hand and chest, Martin said.
No identifications will be confirmed until next-of-kin are notified, and the incident remains under investigation, Martin said.
A state trooper struck by a car as he helped with traffic control was treated at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest and released, Trooper Nathan Branosky said.
“We don’t believe at this point that that had anything to do with this incident here at the Wawa,” he added.
Martin commended the quick action of a Wawa employee who was taking out trash, saw what was happening, ushered two bystanders into the store and locked the doors.
Matthew Caldwell of Bethlehem said he saw the shooting unfold from the front seat of his car. He had stopped at Wawa to buy an energy drink before work and was sending a text before going inside when he heard shots.
”I heard a pop and slight pause,” he said. “I thought it was a motorcycle at first, but then I look over and see a short man in a hoodie. I didn’t get a good look at him because he had his back to me. Then he opened fire two or three more times into the Jeep next to me.”
Caldwell, 32, said he got out of his car and dropped to the ground. He looked over at the Jeep and saw the driver fall out of the vehicle, bleeding heavily and screaming for help.
Taking a chance that the shooter wouldn’t see him, Caldwell dashed to the store, where an employee ushered him in and locked all the doors. He watched people in the parking lot performing CPR on the truck driver.
”It’s surreal, is what I would say. In its purest definition it does not feel real,” Caldwell said. “Your instincts kick in and you don’t want to die. It’s just a lot of emotions right now. I felt like it was surreal and felt like it wasn’t really happening.”
The day care center was closed at the time of the shootings.
“Today an unfortunate situation occurred,” the center said in a Facebook post. “An active shooter was on foot and police took him into custody at our Brookside Parkland site. Everyone is SAFE.”
At least two dozen police vehicles from the township, surrounding municipalities and state police responded to the shooting.