Allentown Mayor Ran On Foot To Warn Residents Of NYE Shooting: Report

ALLENTOWN, NJ — When a New Year’s Eve shooting led to a borough-wide shelter-in-place for the residents of Allentown, the borough’s mayor said he ran on foot to local businesses and restaurants to warn them of the incident, according to a report from NJ.com.

Mayor Thomas Fritts told NJ.com that he was returning from an out-of-town appointment when he saw police activity on Johnson Ave. and learned of the shooting.

The incident led to a borough-wide shelter-in-place while police searched for the missing gunman, who was arrested later that night.

Though most residents learned about the shelter-in-place through a notification system or social media, Fritts told NJ.com that he realized many businesses and visiting patrons likely didn’t know what was happening and decided to go on foot to warn them himself.

“I just started running to businesses," Fritts told NJ Advance Media. "Whether it was the pharmacy or Woody’s Diner or, you know, the Ivy on Main flower shop to the Old Mill, you name it, I just ran into places telling them they needed to lock their doors immediately."

Following a wide search by authorities throughout the borough, Daniel Williams, 52, was arrested in connection with the incident. The shelter-in-place was lifted around 6 p.m., and Williams’ arrest was announced at 7:15 p.m.

According to an affidavit filed in the case, Williams was meeting with his landlord and wife in the backyard when he took a gun out of his sweatshirt and shot and grazed his wife in the back of her head.

The landlord wrestled with Williams for 10 minutes to get the gun away from him, which he ultimately did, according to court documents.

Williams’ wife was brought to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries following the shooting, and their child (who was home at the time of the incident) was also found unharmed.

A family friend of Williams’ wife started a GoFundMe to support her and her son following the incident.

In an update posted to the GoFundMe, she expressed her gratitude for those who have supported her and her family, and said she and her son are on a “journey of healing and rebuilding.”

“(We) will be on a journey of healing and rebuilding our lives for a while, and I will keep everyone updated as things unfold,” Williams said. “For right now we’re just going to take a bit of time with loved ones and try to rest.”

You can read the full story from NJ.com here.

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