At least two people lost their lives and seventeen were injured, with four in critical condition. In eastern Pennsylvania, a man who had just left a bar near a charity event walked through a crowd, then killed a woman in a nearby town before fleeing the scene.
The suspect, identified as 24 year old Adrián Oswaldo Sura Reyes, was arrested and transported to court, according to authorities cited by NBC News. He faces willful manslaughter charges in connection with the incident.
The episode began around 6:30 PM local time on a Sunday, as a charitable gathering drew several dozen attendees to a bar in Berwick. After the vehicle attack, the suspect exited the car and crossed the Susquehanna River that separates Berwick from Nescopeck. There, he allegedly assaulted a woman before authorities captured him.
Authorities have not released the identities of the two people who died at the scene. The Berwick victim was later identified by the Columbia County coroner as a 50-year-old woman from Wilkes-Barre who died at the scene of the hit and run. Investigators are reviewing the events to determine if the crash and the subsequent stabbing are connected to an earlier fire in Nescopeck that claimed seven lives, including three children. Police have not established a link between the explosion and the later hit and run.
As the investigation continues, officials have urged residents to remain vigilant and to follow updates from the state police. The community is coping with the shock of back to back tragedies, and investigators are working to piece together the timeline of events, including the moments that led from the charity event to the deadly sequence of actions that followed.
Local authorities have called for patience as more information becomes available. They emphasize the importance of avoiding speculation while they gather evidence and review surveillance footage, witness statements, and forensic results. Support services have been made available to those affected by the incident, and law enforcement continues to coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions to determine whether any additional safety measures are warranted for public gatherings in the region.