Two Boys Were Killed In A Shooting Targeting A 19-Year-Old. Charges Have Been Filed.
Two young boys fatally shot in a triple homicide at an eastern Pennsylvania home this week were playing with their kittens in the backyard when the shots rang out.
AP
LOADINGERROR LOADING
LEBANON, Pa. (AP) — Two young boys were playing with kittens in their backyard when shots rang out at a home in eastern Pennsylvania, killing both children and a young man who was the apparent target, authorities said Thursday.
An adult and a teen have been charged in the shooting, and police are seeking a third suspect.
Alex Torres Santos, 22, and a 16-year-old male have each been charged with three counts of criminal homicide, Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said. They also face aggravated assault, conspiracy and weapons offenses related to Tuesday’s shooting in Lebanon, a small city in an agricultural region roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia.
Advertisement
A third male is still being sought and will likely face similar charges, authorities said. Santos was on house arrest for several unrelated charges and was wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the shooting.
The violence stemmed from “a previous argument,” authorities said Thursday, but further details on the motive were not disclosed.
The shooters apparently targeted 19-year-old Joshua Lugo-Perez, while 8-year-old Jesus Perez-Salome and 9-year-old Sebastian Perez-Salome were both in the home’s back yard, authorities said. All three victims lived at the home where the shooting occurred, but Lugo-Perez was not related to the two boys.
Advertisement
The younger boy was pronounced dead at the scene. His older brother and Lugo-Perez both died a short time later at hospitals.
A 33-year-old neighbor who was wounded by a stray bullet underwent surgery and remains hospitalized, but he is expected to recover, authorities said.
Lebanon Police Chief Bret Fisher said officers responded to the home shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday after a report of shots fired.
A Lebanon County SWAT team arrested Santos at his apartment Wednesday. Authorities said he attempted to flee the residence but was captured there, while the teenage suspect was later arrested at a nearby apartment where he was trying to hide. Ammunition and multiple firearms were found at the apartment where Santos was arrested, authorities said.
Graf, the district attorney, said Thursday that the suspects could potentially face the death penalty, but that decision has not yet been made. It wasn’t clear Thursday if either suspect had retained an attorney.
Advertisement
Subscribe to our true crime newsletter, Suspicious Circumstances, to get the biggest unsolved mysteries, white collar scandals, and captivating cases delivered straight to your inbox every week. Sign up here.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.