Upper Macungie Township

‘Didn't Expect My Son to Die Like This': Mom Mourns Trucker Slain in Wawa Shooting

Ramon Ramirez was shot to death as he was pumping gas at an Upper Macungie Township Wawa

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The mother of a truck driver killed during an “indiscriminate” shooting spree at a Lehigh Valley Wawa said she is living the worst moments of her life.

“Mine is a sad situation. I didn’t expect my son to die like this,” said María Nuñez, mother of 31-year-old Ramon Ramirez, who died Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire on him and two other people in Upper Macungie Township.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said 45-year-old Za Uk Lian shot Ramirez as Ramirez was filling up his big rig. Lian also shot a man inside a Jeep in the parking lot of the Wawa – he is expected to survive – as well as a woman’s car, before turning the gun on himself, Martin said.

Nuñez remembered Ramirez, her only son, as someone who called every day and would always seek her out to plant flowers. She said he left behind three young children.

“I feel so bad. He left behind three little kids. My God,” Nuñez said through tears.

Lian started his shooting spree a little before 5 a.m. after having “an encounter” with a woman as both were driving down Route 22 Martin said. The woman was not struck, but after pulling into the Wawa, she realized that her car had a bullet hole.

Lian turned into the same parking lot, went around to the other side and shot the man in the Jeep before killing Ramirez, the district attorney said, adding that the gunman then ran about ¼ of a mile before dying by suicide from an apparent gunshot to the chest. The shootings appeared to be “indiscriminate and unrelated,” Martin said.

“There are many stories about Ramon. He was very good to me and to everyone else,” Nuñez said.

An investigation into the shootings remains ongoing.

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