ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Two juveniles have been arrested in connection with a shooting that left a female juvenile critically injured early Sunday morning, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and Allentown Police.
Officers were called shortly before 2 a.m. on July 13 to the 100 block of Pine Street, where they found the girl with a gunshot wound to the face. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she remains in critical but stable condition.
Investigators said a group of teens had been gathered in a bedroom when a male juvenile removed a .380-caliber handgun from a fanny pack. He reportedly dropped the magazine, racked the slide, and claimed the chamber was empty before handing the gun to a female juvenile.
The female pointed the gun around the room using its laser sight and pulled the trigger, striking the victim in the face. Most of the group fled the scene, including the male who brought the weapon. Police say he later threatened the female shooter not to speak to authorities or she would be beaten. One teen stayed behind, called 911, and gave aid to the victim until help arrived.
The male juvenile, of Lansford, is charged with Intimidation of Witnesses or Victims, Firearms Not to be Carried Without a License, Possession of a Firearm by a Minor, Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence, and five counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person.
The female juvenile, of Allentown, is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Possession of a Firearm by a Minor, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.
The names of the suspects and the victim have not been released due to their age. The investigation is ongoing.