Allentown police Capt. Bill Lake told WFMZ-TV many of the victims remained hospitalized Thursday, though none of their injuries appeared to be life-threatening. He said most, if not all, of the victims had just left DejaVu Night Club before shots rang out as they stood on the sidewalk outside, according to WFMZ-TV.
"It appears that at least one individual was a target," Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin and Allentown Police Chief Tony Alsleben said in a statement obtained Thursday morning by The Associated Press. "Although not confirmed, in our opinion based upon investigative information ... it is more likely than not that the outcome of the investigation will reveal a connection to gang violence."
Witnesses described a chaotic scene to The Morning Call, telling the newspaper that people fled from the area and hid behind parked cars after the first shots were fired. A woman who lives near the club and who spoke with The Morning Call on the condition of anonymity said she saw police and ambulances arrive on the scene before dispatchers could answer her call to 911.
"EMS drivers didn't know where to start," she told The Morning Call. "People were everywhere."
Tashana Santiago, another witness who lives near the nightclub, told The Morning Call she heard a car speeding away after the final shots were fired.
"When everything went silent, all you could hear (was) the screaming and panicking," Santiago told the newspaper. "All I could think was, 'Someone is dying.'"
As of Thursday morning, police had not arrested anyone in connection with the shooting, according to the AP.
Authorities continue to investigate.
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