An argument between members of two north Reading families outside a Fourth of July gathering left a 16‑year‑old boy fatally wounded and another teen facing criminal homicide charges.
Police were called to the 1100 block of Windsor Street around 11:30 p.m. Saturday for a reported shooting. Officers found the victim inside 1014 Windsor St., a multi‑story commercial building where a family gathering was underway. He had been shot in the back and was taken to Reading Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by an emergency room physician.
Witnesses told police the teen was among several people attending the gathering when a man — later identified as Daniel Cruz Sr., father of the alleged shooter — began banging on the door and yelling about garbage in the alley, Market Place. They said Cruz Sr. had stopped his SUV in the alley with his 16‑year‑old son, Daniel Jr., in the front passenger seat.
According to court records, Cruz Sr. struck a metal cabinet blocking the alley before getting into a heated argument with people from the party. As tensions escalated, witnesses said Cruz Sr. searched the console of his SUV, then told his son to go home and retrieve his gun.
The teen returned moments later, running toward the group with the barrel of a handgun pointed skyward. Witnesses reported hearing two shots they believed were fired into the air. A third shot was fired when the youth lowered the gun toward the crowd gathered in front of the garage door, striking the victim.
People in the alley flagged down officers in the 800 block of North 10th Street and pointed them toward the residence where the shooter had fled. Officers saw a light on in a third‑floor bedroom. A household member told police Cruz Jr. was inside changing clothes — even though it wasn’t his room.
Cruz Jr. eventually exited the home and was detained. Witnesses identified him during a drive‑by lineup, noting he had changed clothing since the shooting.
He was arraigned late Saturday before District Judge Colleen Dugan Schearer and jailed without bail. In addition to criminal homicide, he is charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said Monday that the case underscores the dangers of youth access to firearms.
“Young people, they just don’t understand the consequences of that trigger pull,” Adams said, adding that the teen is accused of recklessly firing into a group of people.
He declined to say whether additional charges are expected, noting the investigation is ongoing.