Man shot and killed in Bethlehem Twp. dispute; neighbor in custody, police say

One man is dead and another in custody after a dispute between neighbors led to gunfire Tuesday afternoon, Bethlehem Township police said.

The shooting occurred shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of Clifton Avenue, police said in a news release. Bethlehem Township police Cpl. Jeremy Anderson said it was ruled a homicide.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Officials have released no further details on what led to the shooting or the identity of those involved.

Police said there was no danger to the public. Shortly after the shooting, the township lifted a shelter-in-place order. East Hills Middle School and Freedom High School, about a mile north of the shooting scene, were locked down during the incident.

Emergency personnel rushed to the scene, where they closed the entrance to the residential development during the investigation.

Hours later, they remained on the scene. Police went in and out of the two-story brickface/vinyl siding home with red shutters where the shooting appeared to have occurred. They could be seen through a second-floor window taking pictures inside.

One red tarp and two yellow tarps hung in the front yard of the home where police were focused.

Neighbors peeked out of windows or watched from front porches. Some said the shooting was out of character for the area of multifamily homes with large trees in front yards just off Easton Avenue.

“It’s wild,” Justin Rolands said. “This is usually a quiet neighborhood. Gets a little rowdy on Fourth of July but otherwise quiet.”

Another neighbor, Amber Walters, agreed.

“This is a neighborhood where something like this doesn’t happen,” she said. “It’s a family neighborhood where kids play on the streets, people walk their dogs and everyone greets each other in a friendly manner.”