On September 20, 2023, at about 2:00 a.m., officers responded to a vehicle collision in the 700 block of Schuylkill Avenue in Reading. The only occupant, 27-year-old Jorge Pizarro Mercedes, was found injured in the vehicle and taken to Reading Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy on September 21, 2023, determined Mercedes died from a gunshot wound to the chest; the case has been classified as a homicide.

The investigation remains active. As of the latest update, no arrests have been announced and no suspects have been publicly identified. Reading Police Department is asking anyone with information to call (610)-655-6116 or Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913.

If anyone was in the area of Schuylkill Avenue around 2:00 a.m. on September 20, 2023, or has information about this collision and shooting, please contact the numbers above.