Two men were shot, one fatally, in an apartment early Friday morning in the 500 block of Lancaster Avenue, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said.
The suspected shooter has been identified and is being sought by Reading police, Adams said. The individual’s name hasn’t been released as the investigation remains very active, the district attorney said, describing him as a person of interest.
One victim was declared dead at the scene. The other was taken to Reading Hospital by ambulance.
The shootings are not believed to be random acts of violence, police said. Investigators determined that the suspect forcibly entered the residence about 2 a.m., and both victims suffered gunshot wounds, they said in a report to the media Friday afternoon.
The apartment is on the east side of the block, just south of Grace Street, where there are several storefronts with second-floor apartments.
Police held the scene until late Friday morning. A Berks County Coroner’s Office van was parked nearby, with deputy coroners preparing to take the body to the Reading Hospital morgue.
It’s the second fatal shooting in a week in Reading. On July 4, a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot during an apparently random dispute in north Reading outside an Independence Day gathering. Another teen was arrested and charged with criminal homicide.
Anyone with information related to the homicide investigation is asked to contact Reading police at 610-655-6116. Information can also be provided anonymously by calling Crime Alert Berks County’s anonymous tip line at 1-877-373-9913. Crime Alert offers cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest.