2 dead after ‘indiscriminate’ shooting spree outside Lehigh Valley Wawa

This story originally appeared on NBC10.

Two people died, including a bystander and a gunman who went on an “indiscriminate” shooting spree, Wednesday morning in the Lehigh Valley.

The gunman first had “an encounter” with a female driver as both were traveling on Route 22 near the intersection of Route 309 and Cedar Crest Boulevard shortly before 5 a.m., Lehigh Valley District Attorney Jim Martin said.

The man shot at the woman’s car, but though she heard a bang, she only noticed the gunshot after pulling into a Wawa at the intersection of Route 100 and Schantz Road and looking at her vehicle after walking out of the store to get a sandwich.

The man then pulled into the Wawa parking lot, went to the south side and shot a man in a Jeep, leaving him with nonlife-threatening injuries. The gunman also turned his attention to a truck driver, shooting him to death as he filled up his big rig, Martin said.

He said the shootings appeared to be “indiscriminate and unrelated.”

A Wawa employee who was taking out the trash heard the gunshots and rushed two customers inside, locking the doors and telling fellow employees to shelter in place, the district attorney said. “All credit to him,” Martin added.

After killing the truck driver, the gunman ran about 1/4 mile down Route 100 and apparently died by suicide from a gunshot to the chest, according to Martin.

Police could also be seen at the Brookside Children’s Early Education Center, about half a mile away from the Wawa. The day care said on its Facebook page that it was closed when the incident happened and that no one was hurt.

Nearby Fogelsville Elementary School, which was already scheduled for virtual classes, closed off the campus to both students and staff for the rest of the day.

Martin said the investigation was ongoing.