WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – The Lehigh County coroner identified the woman who died after being shot in front of a Walmart last week.
Nicolette Law, 20, of Allentown, died on Friday after being shot outside Walmart on MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township.
Officials said an autopsy would be carried out on Monday.
District Attorney Jim Martin and Whitehall Township Police Chief Michael Marks announced on Sunday that Edward Joel Rosario-Jimenez, 23, of Whitehall, is charged with criminal homicide, attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault; all first-degree crimes; and firearms should not be carried without a license, a third degree crime, officials say.
At approximately 6:55 pm on Friday, Whitehall Township police were called in for a report of shots fired in the Walmart parking lot on block 2600 on MacArthur Road.
Upon arrival, the police found two victims near a parked vehicle with the engine still running in the parking lot.
Both victims suffered gunshot wounds, Law later died from those injuries. The other person is receiving medical treatment.
The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office considered Law’s death a homicide, initially only identifying her as Jane Doe.
According to the authorities, the investigators were able to obtain and analyze video surveillance images from the Walmart store that showed the victim’s vehicle arriving and parking in an area of the merchandise collection parking lot.
Within minutes, a black Toyota sport utility vehicle entered and parked directly in front of the victim’s vehicle, officials said.
Several victims were interviewed by the police. Your identities will not be disclosed.
According to authorities, a witness told police that he had gone to the Walmart parking lot to pick up his son, who is also the son of one of the victims of the shooting.
The witness told police that he arrived at Toyota with Rosario-Jimenez and two others and that Rosario-Jimenez argued with one of the victims. The witness told police that he heard gunshots and got out of the Toyota, but Rosario-Jimenez remained in the parking lot.
Another witness told police that he saw Rosario-Jimenez fire several shots at the victims, police said.
Police say a gun was found hidden in a snow bank near the shooting site.
Edward J. Rosario-Jimenez was also arrested in a previous shooting incident on September 14, 2019, on charges of simple misdemeanor of simple assault, reckless danger and terrorist threats.