Florida Man Arrested in South Whitehall Shooting

A Florida man has been charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering and criminal attempt at homicide in a shooting that happened in South Whitehall Tuesday morning.

Jamel Hussein Lewis, 34, of Wellington, Fla. is in custody at Lehigh County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail set by Magesterial District Judge Michael Pochron.

Police said they received a report of shots fire at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 4, and a description of a black man with long braids chasing another man while shooting at him.

Immediately after the shooting, the suspect was seen entering a home at 2021 Focht Ave. Police arrived and took Lewis into custody and transported him and witnesses to police headquarters.

Neighbors who live around the house on Focht Avenue saw the chase and the heard the gun fire. Charles Remmel was washing his face in his home on Focht Avenue, South Whitehall, when he heard three loud bangs.

"I thought they were trash can lids being banged because it is garbage day," said Remmel.

He looked out his bathroom window and saw two young, slightly built men running away from a home in the 200 block of Focht Avenue. He said one of the men soon returned and went back into the house.

Pete Choke of Whitehall Avenue said he also heard gunfire and lots of loud "swearing and shouting."

"I just heard bits and pieces of what they were yelling, like 'you've got five minutes,' and 'you're never going to see him again,'" Choke said.

Then he said he heard a police officer with a megaphone telling "someone to come out of the house."