A 29-year-old Hispanic man was shot in the 700 block of North Ninth Street in Allentown on Monday evening and later died at a hospital, according to police. The coroner has ruled his death a homicide, and investigators have withheld his identity while they work to notify his next of kin.
Allentown Police officers were dispatched to the scene around 5:13 p.m. Monday, according to WFMZ. Allentown EMS transported the victim to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries, per the same report. He was pronounced dead at 5:43 p.m. in the emergency department at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, according to Daily Voice.
The man had been positively identified by investigators, but his name was withheld while next-of-kin notifications were underway, Daily Voice reported, citing Coroner Daniel A. Buglio. Buglio said he believes the family should have time and privacy to grieve, according to the outlet. The coroner determined the death resulted from a gunshot injury and ruled it a homicide.
Multiple Agencies Now Investigating
The Allentown Police Department, Lehigh County District Attorney's Office, Lehigh County Coroner's Office and Lehigh County Homicide Task Force are all investigating the shooting, per the Daily Voice report. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday at the Lehigh County Coroner's Office and Forensics Center, the outlet noted. The release from investigators did not include information about a suspect or the circumstances leading up to the shooting, according to Daily Voice.
Police said there is no immediate threat to the public, per WFMZ. Anyone with information was asked to contact detectives or the police desk, and anonymous text tips can be sent through the Tip411 app, the station reported.
Part of a Rising Toll in Allentown
The North Ninth Street shooting comes amid a documented rise in homicides across the city. Allentown recorded two homicides in the third quarter of 2026, compared with none in the same period of 2025, according to a quarterly crime report cited by NBC10 Philadelphia. Looking at the 12 months through September 2026, the city logged seven homicides, up from two in the preceding 12-month period, per a report detailed by WFMZ.
Not every trend in the report points upward. Robberies actually fell to 14 in the third quarter of 2026, down from 19 during the same period in 2025, a roughly 26% decrease, NBC10 Philadelphia reported. Allentown's homicide clearance rate stood at 75% for the 12 months ending in September, which the outlet noted exceeds the national average of approximately 61% reported for 2024. Police also reported a 100% clearance rate for the two homicides committed in the third quarter, meaning arrests and charges were made in both cases, according to WFMZ.
Other Recent Shootings in the City
Monday's shooting follows other deadly incidents in Allentown in recent months. A man was shot and killed in the 600 block of Gordon Street on Sept. 29, with the shooting occurring around 6:53 p.m., NBC10 Philadelphia reported. The Lehigh County Coroner's Office later identified that victim as 59-year-old Mark J. Little of Allentown, according to the outlet.
A separate shooting that same evening at Front and Susquehanna streets killed Jaroe J. Perry, 41, of South Whitehall Township, who officials said was shot multiple times, per NBC10 Philadelphia. In a Wednesday update, officials said the two September shootings were not believed to be connected to one another, the outlet reported. No connection between the September incidents and Monday's shooting on North Ninth Street has been established in available reporting.
