Bristol Township police are investigating reports of gunfire during an attempted vehicle theft in the 1900 block of Colonial Avenue before dawn Friday. The resident’s vehicle was not taken, but at least two other cars were stolen during the incident. Bullets pierced a Dodge, lodged in a garage wall and struck another home, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
Bucks County Police Radio received a report of shots fired in the 300 block of Logan Avenue at about 4:16 a.m. Friday, followed by a second call two minutes later reporting shots fired in the 1900 block of Colonial Avenue, Bristol Township police said, according to LevittownNow. Investigators reviewing security footage saw a person with what appeared to be a handgun checking a car door handle. The footage also showed a black Dodge Ram pickup, a gray Honda Odyssey and an unknown black sedan moving slowly through the neighborhood as masked, gloved people checked vehicle doors.
Shots Fired as Thieves Fled the Scene
Police said two occupants of the third vehicle got out and fired multiple shots down the street, according to the same report. No injuries were reported, but gunfire damaged two vehicles and two residential garages, per PhillyBurbs. Investigators believe the Dodge Ram and Honda Odyssey seen in the footage had been stolen from Bristol Township earlier that day, the station's report notes.
One of the stolen vehicles belonged to Kyle Brooks, who told NBC10 Philadelphia that he had bought the truck just days earlier for his roofing and siding business. It held tools, valuable equipment and paperwork, and its whereabouts were still unknown at the time of the report. Brooks said the gunfire in a residential neighborhood concerned him more than replacing the truck, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
'It's Just a Shame' — Resident Reacts
Brooks called the shooting “a shame,” saying the suspects fired at people in the neighborhood after failing to get another vehicle, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. He urged neighbors to stay vigilant and said residents had video footage of the incident. Brooks also filed a police report with Bristol Township police, the outlet reported.
Police have not clarified how many suspects they are seeking, and the investigation remains ongoing. Bristol Township police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the department, according to the same report from LevittownNow.
Part of a Wider Pattern in Bucks County
The Croydon shooting follows a string of vehicle thefts reported across Bristol Township in recent weeks. On October 9, several unknown subjects attempted to enter multiple vehicles on Farmbrook Drive in Levittown around 2 a.m., though nothing was reported missing, according to Lower Bucks Source. Earlier in the month, a motorcycle was reported removed from a Pennsylvania Avenue residence in Croydon, and a 2017 Jeep valued at an estimated $17,500 was taken from a car lot on Bristol Pike.
Beyond Bristol Township, Middletown Township police have reported what they described as a sharp increase in vehicle and wire thefts across Bucks County, according to FOX 29. That report noted car thefts from residential neighborhoods and apartment complexes in Middletown, Lower Makefield, Newtown and elsewhere. Croydon itself has seen other brazen incidents involving stolen vehicles this year — in June, three people were taken into custody after a stolen Cadillac Escalade crashed into an occupied home, with the SUV left partially inside the living room, according to Patch. No injuries were reported in that incident, and the suspects were found and arrested without incident a short time after fleeing on foot.
Theft data and reporting guidance
A Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency analysis of Pennsylvania State Police data found motor vehicle thefts statewide increased 54.9% from 2013 to 2022. That statewide comparison does not provide a Bucks County count or establish how local totals changed over the same period. For reporting, the Bristol Township Police Department tip page says to call 911 for emergencies or incidents in progress and lists (215) 785-4040 for incidents that are not in progress.
