In the summer of 2018, a promising young life was cut tragically short in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Sixteen-year-old Carolina Monsanto, a female student with dreams of becoming a nurse, was at a friend's house on Harrison Street on the afternoon of July 31st. She was in the company of two friends, a 19-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, when the woman's boyfriend, Antwan Washington, entered the residence.
A domestic dispute reportedly erupted between Washington and his girlfriend.
The altercation quickly escalated, and Washington is said to have retrieved a firearm from an upstairs bedroom before coming back downstairs and opening fire on all three individuals. Carolina suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The two other victims, the 31-year-old woman and the 19-year-old man, were also injured in the shooting but survived.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement identified 36-year-old Antwan Washington as the suspect and a search for him began. He was considered armed and dangerous. Washington remained a fugitive for a short period before he turned himself in to the authorities on the evening of August 2, 2018.
Following his surrender, Antwan Washington was arrested and faced serious charges for his alleged actions. He was charged with one count of homicide for the death of Carolina Monsanto, two counts of attempted homicide for the injuries sustained by the other two victims, and two counts of aggravated assault. He was arraigned and subsequently held in the Lehigh County Jail without the possibility of bail. Family and friends remembered Carolina as a beautiful soul who was a rising senior at Dieruff High School, where she ran track and played field hockey. Her father described her as a hardworking student who held two jobs and never caused problems for anyone.
