ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A 34-year-old Allentown man is dead and two others are injured after a shooting inside Big Woody’s Restaurant and Bar at 1302 Hanover Ave. early Friday morning, authorities said.
Officers responded to the bar at about 1:30 a.m. for a reported shooting and found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Allentown Police Department. A fight precipitated the shooting, police said.
Officers rendered first aid and the victims were transported to an area hospital for treatment. One victim succumbed to his injuries; the other is expected to survive, police said.
A third victim from the incident arrived at a nearby hospital a short time later and is also expected to survive, according to police.
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio said the man was pronounced dead at 2:40 a.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg. Buglio ruled the death a homicide due to gunshot injuries.
The victim’s identity is being withheld to allow the family to grieve privately and is expected to be released later Friday, Buglio said. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
Friday’s shooting marks the second fatal incident at Big Woody’s in recent years. In February 2022, a 42-year-old man was fatally shot in the parking lot during a dispute. The shooter in that case was later convicted of first-degree murder.
Police said there is no danger to the community at this time. The investigation is active and ongoing.
The Allentown Police Department, Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, Lehigh County Homicide Task Force and Lehigh County Coroner’s Office are jointly investigating.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Allentown Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 610-437-7721 or the complaint desk at 610-437-7753. Anonymous tips may be submitted through the department’s Facebook page or website.
Jai Smith is a lifetime Lehigh Valley resident on a mission to empower local underserved communities and inform the public while providing journalists and storytellers a platform to develop the next generation of news media.