Law enforcement officials in Lehigh County are investigating after a man was shot and killed in an early morning incident in South Whitehall Township on Friday. A suspect was arrested and charged in connection to this incident.
According to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office, a 56-year-old man -- now identified as Christopher E. Potter -- was killed after being shot two times at a house along the 3400 block of Cambridge Circle in South Whitehall Township around 6:36 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.
Officials said that Potter was found in a first-floor bathroom.
The coroner's office noted Potter was pronounced at the scene and his death was ruled a homicide.
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According to officials with the District Attorney's Office, an unidentified witness heard the two gunshots and then saw a man running away from the house.
Residents who lived nearby called police to report that a man was acting suspiciously, officials said. The residents reported that the person was running through yards.
The suspicious person was identified as 34-year-old Elvis Miguel Perez who was arrested about an hour after the shooting happened, according to a spokesperson with the District Attorney's Office. He was charged with criminal homicide and other related charges.
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Officials explained that a handgun was found in a garbage can at a home where Perez was arrested. The handgun was the same caliber as the two shell casings found inside the house where Potter was shot.
Perez is currently being held in the Lehigh County Jail without bail and a preliminary hearing will be held on Oct. 14, officials said.
Police officials said, in a statement, that there is no risk to the public in this incident.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
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