Darnelle Thompson was 39 when he was fatally shot on March 23, 2023, at about 6:40 p.m. in the 500 block of North Fourth Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Officers found him with gunshot wounds; he was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

Investigators say the shooting happened during a confrontation involving two teenage girls. Nineteen-year-old Abner Juarbe of Bethlehem intervened and fired the shot. Less than 24 hours earlier, Juarbe had stolen a firearm from a victim at a hotel in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. He was arrested and charged with third-degree murder, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery; on August 1, 2023, he pleaded guilty to those charges.

Thompson’s death came amid a string of violent incidents in Allentown that raised resident concerns and calls for more police presence. Funeral services for Thompson were held April 3, 2023, at South Hempstead Baptist Church in Hempstead, New York.

If anyone witnessed the March 23 confrontation or has information that could clarify how the events unfolded, please share what is known.