Pennsylvania

Gunman Kills Lehigh Valley Barbershop Owner Outside Shop

A memorial is growing outside Headliners Barber Shop along S 8th Street in Allentown a day after its owner was shot and killed in front of the business.

Eric Wagner, 40, was sitting in a chair on the sidewalk outside his shop around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when a gunman walked up to him and opened fire. Witnesses told NBC10 they heard almost a dozen shots.

"I saw the guy laying right there and I started screaming and crying and hollering," said Milta Acevedo.

Wagner was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The suspect ran off after the shooting. Witnesses say the gunman had been acting strange and was asking around for cigarettes prior to the shooting.

Wagner was a newlywed father and longtime mentor to people in the community who recently opened the shop in order to support his family.

"He was a great man," said Wagner's nephew Jaohne Duggan.

Duggan told NBC10 Wagner taught him how to play football, ultimately helping him secure a scholarship for Rutgers University next fall.

"He[the shooter] took him from his son, his family, and his wife," Duggan said. "It's crazy. We've got to go through this. It's a big loss. I hope we get justice though."

Wagner's family said they don't know who would want to hurt him and are unsure of the motive. Police continue to investigate.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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