Before Saturday’s Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League) game, a 10-year-old boy standing in Coca-Cola Park‘s outfield was struck by a bullet that law enforcement officials believe could have been fired miles away from the ballpark.
The IronPigs hosted Harry Potter Night on Saturday, a promotion that allowed fans to take the field prior to the game for related activities. During this part of the promotion, a 10-year-old boy standing in right field fell to the ground after suffering a puncture wound behind his knee.
He was taken to the hospital, and an X-ray there revealed that he had been shot. A subsequent investigation found no signs of gun fire at Coca-Cola Park or in the area immediately surrounding the ballpark and, according to team officials, local law enforcement officials believe that the bullet could have been fired into the air from another location, perhaps as far as two miles away. Law enforcement continues to investigate the incident, and has not determined the exact location from which the bullet was fired. More from The Morning Call:
“The police officers we were speaking to last night felt pretty confident, with 99% certainty, that someone shot into the air and it was just the horrible misfortune that it landed where it did,” General Manager Kurt Landes said.
Allentown police found no signs that a shooting happened anywhere near the baseball stadium and are still investigating where the shot was fired from.
The boy’s injuries were described as a bullet wound to the back of the knee.
Landes said he spoke to the boy’s mother Saturday night and again Sunday morning. The team sent a care package to the boy, who was transferred to a trauma unit.
Although there were no reports of gunfire in Allentown on Saturday, law enforcement believes that the bullet was fired into the air based on its trajectory. The boy was able to walk off the field before being taken to the hospital, and is reportedly doing well in his recovery.