Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — The quiet on 10th Avenue was shattered late Friday night when police responding to a distress call found a grisly scene that has left a community stunned and a family shattered. Inside a home on the 200 block, a 39-year-old woman was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Nearby, a 42-year-old man was also discovered with gunshot injuries and later died at the hospital, authorities say, in what is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide.
Officers were called to the residence just after 10:15 p.m. Friday night after an adult arrived to pick up a child from a playdate. When the child went inside, they immediately returned and told the adult something was seriously wrong. Police broke the tense silence to find both adults deceased in the basement.
Inside the home were three young children and an older adult who were unharmed. Police quickly removed them from the scene and placed them with family members. The older adult, found in a separate part of the house, is not considered a suspect, officials said.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene at about 11:22 p.m., while the man was rushed to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill and died shortly after at 11:39 p.m., according to the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office. Autopsies for both adults are expected to be completed Monday. Names are being withheld out of respect for the family as they grieve.
Neighbors described the block as peaceful and close-knit, where children often played in the street and families waved as they passed. What happened Friday night has been described by community members as unthinkable. “I just can’t believe something like this would happen right here,” one neighbor said. “You hear about things like this elsewhere, but never so close.”
Family members released a statement honoring the memory of the woman, remembered as a devoted mother whose love for her children was at the center of her life. They’ve also announced a candlelight vigil for the community to come together and mourn, asking attendees to bring candles and balloons in her favorite colors, black and blue, as they remember her warmth and resilience.
The Bethlehem Area School District acknowledged the tragedy, noting that students in the district were affected by the loss and that the school system is working to offer support to families while respecting their privacy. Police continue to investigate with help from the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force and the District Attorney’s Office, stressing there is no ongoing threat to the wider community.
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