Nicolette Sheridan Law was a 20-year-old Black woman from Allentown, Pennsylvania, who had aspirations to study nursing. On the evening of Friday, February 26, 2021, she was in the parking lot of a Walmart in Whitehall Township with another Allentown resident, 22-year-old Jonatan Jose Martinez.
Around 7 p.m., a confrontation in the busy lot on the 2600 block of MacArthur Road erupted into gunfire. Witnesses told police they saw a man argue with one of the victims before firing several shots at both Nicolette and Jonatan. After the shooting, police found a gun in a nearby snowbank. Both victims were rushed to a local hospital. Nicolette was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Jonatan Jose Martinez was critically injured in the shooting and fought for his life for more than a week.
He succumbed to his injuries and died on March 7, 2021.
Following the incident, police arrested 23-year-old Edward Joel Rosario-Jimenez of Whitehall. Based on witness statements, authorities charged him with criminal homicide for Nicolette’s death, as well as attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and carrying a firearm without a license.
The case against Rosario-Jimenez was proceeding through the legal system as of March 2021, following the death of the second victim.
