In the early morning hours of November 12, 2022, a dispute at a party in an off-campus student apartment complex near Kutztown University in Maxatawny Township, Pennsylvania, ended in the tragic death of 18-year-old Diego Velazquez from Reading. The male teenager was shot shortly before 1 a.m. at the Advantage Point Student Apartments on Baldy Road. Emergency services transported Velazquez to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The Lehigh County coroner subsequently ruled his death a homicide. It was noted by university officials that Velazquez was not a student at Kutztown University.
The investigation into the shooting was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police in conjunction with the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Their efforts led to the identification of a suspect, Xzavier Wayman, a 22-year-old from Philadelphia. Wayman was taken into custody on the morning of December 5, 2022.
Following his arrest, Xzavier Wayman was charged with a range of serious offenses, including first-degree murder, third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person. In April 2024, at the age of 23, Wayman pleaded guilty to third-degree murder for the killing of Diego Velazquez. As a result of his guilty plea, the former Kutztown University student was sentenced to a term of up to 30 years in a state correctional facility.
