A man has been charged after police say he opened fire on a crowd Sunday night in downtown Allentown, resulting in a shootout with multiple people hit and one person seriously injured.
Yunior Peralta-Quintana, 21, of Bethlehem was arraigned Monday on charges alleging he fired at a group of people in the 100 block of North Seventh Street. One person needed life-saving surgery after being shot, according to police.
Peralta-Quintana is charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault, which are felonies, as well as misdemeanors of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Allentown police wrote in the criminal complaint that officers responded to the area about 6:45 p.m. for a report of shots fired there. Officers arrived and saw Peralta-Quintana shooting at a group of people. Eight people were hit by gunfire, according to court documents.
A news release from Allentown police Monday afternoon said the officers saw several people shooting at each other, and officers engaged with the shooters. Authorities only identified Peralta-Quintana as one of the shooters, according to the release.
The shooting occurred as the city’s annual Dominican Festival was being held nearby, which brought hundreds of people to the area, police said.
The people who were shot were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Police said they are all expected to survive.
Peralta-Quintana was sent to Lehigh County Jail without bail.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk Sunday night that he was “incredibly disappointed” that people are making “bad choices” in the city.
“Our neighbors have no patience for those that would make our streets unsafe,” Tuerk said. “This behavior is unacceptable and we will continue to take the necessary steps to protect everyone from harm.”
I’m incredibly disappointed that people are making bad choices in Allentown. Our neighbors have no patience for those that would make our streets unsafe. This behavior is unacceptable and we will continue to take the necessary steps to protect everyone from harm.
— Mayor Matt Tuerk (@matthewtuerk)
A statement in Spanish posted Monday morning on the festival’s Facebook page noted that the shooting did not take place in the festival, and that all scheduled activities continued without interruption. It went on to thank festivalgoers and law enforcement for their response to the nearby shooting, and said its priority has always been and will continue to be the safety and well-being of all.
Hasshan Batts, director of Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, an antiviolence nonprofit, said the organization canvassed the area and connected with those affected to help them with any immediate needs they may have.
“Right now our team is really trying to find out what happened and primarily how to prevent retaliation,” Batts said Monday afternoon.
The shooting, which happened in broad daylight near a festival, has people nervous, Batts said. The organization has done surveys, and safety is the main concern for residents of the area. The shooting happened in a residential area during a joyous occasion, he said.
“It’s scary,” Batts said.
The organization is working on mediating any disputes to make sure the situation does not escalate.
Batts noted that Promise Neighborhoods is a resource for residents if they wish to contact them. It will be kept confidential, he said.
“We’re here to help,” he said. “Just let us know.”
State Rep. Josh Siegel, whose district includes the downtown area, reacted to the violence in a statement Sunday night.
“Today was a day of celebration and recognition of our city’s diversity and vibrant community,” Siegel said. “We must never allow these instances of to rob our city of its positive momentum and progress. Allentown is stronger than the few who lack respect for its laws.”
The Lehigh County district attorney’s office is assisting Allentown police in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 610-437-7721 or at 610-437-7753 ext. 1. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through the department’s Tip411 application.
The department said Monday afternoon that there would be no additional comment on the shooting.
