Mark J. Little was a 59-year-old father and a barber at Jimmy's Barbershop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, known for the many lives he touched. Originally from Reading, he had also lived in Pottstown. His daughter, Tatyanna, remembered him as someone who would have wanted his life celebrated by the large community of people who knew and loved him. His life was cut short in a sudden act of violence just outside his home in the fall of 2026.
On the evening of Tuesday, September 29, 2026,
police were called to the 600 block of West Gordon Street in Allentown just before 7 p.m. A 911 caller reported hearing gunshots and seeing a person running south on North Church Street. When officers arrived, they found Mark Little on the side porch of his residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics were unable to save him, and the Lehigh County Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene at 7:35 p.m. His death was officially ruled a homicide caused by gunshot wounds. Investigators processed the scene, recovering 14 shell casings near where his body was found.
The Allentown Police Department, assisted by the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force and the District Attorney's Office, immediately launched an investigation. The case progressed quickly thanks to help from the community. Several witnesses provided police with a description of the shooter, and private surveillance cameras captured crucial footage. The suspect was described as wearing a yellow or greenish-yellow ski mask, a grey hoodie or navy-blue jacket, light-colored pants, and a distinctive pair of white and black New Balance sneakers.
Based on this information, detectives identified a person of interest. A witness who viewed surveillance video from the time of the shooting identified the man in the footage as 39-year-old Abdidahir Nieves of Allentown. The video showed Nieves walking directly toward the area where Mark was shot. Other camera footage, recovered from near Nieves’ home, allegedly showed him arriving at the location 33 minutes before the shooting, wearing very similar clothing.
Armed with this evidence, police obtained a search warrant for Nieves' apartment. Inside, they reported finding the greenish-yellow mask, the clothing described by witnesses, and the distinctive New Balance sneakers. They also located a 9-millimeter handgun containing ammunition of the same caliber and brand as the shell casings found at the murder scene. Abdidahir Nieves was taken into custody and charged with a felony count of criminal homicide.
In the wake of the killing, which was one of two unrelated fatal shootings in Allentown that same night, city and county officials expressed their sorrow. "My deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives," said Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio. "I see firsthand the devastating impact that sudden and violent loss has on families, friends, and the community as a whole." The City of Allentown released a statement expressing sadness and urging residents, "Please do not retaliate. Violence only creates more harm."
Mark’s daughter took to social media to share the news of her father's death. "He was murdered by a random person," she wrote, adding that her father’s phone had been broken during the attack. She asked friends and family to contact her directly for funeral information, expressing her wish to honor her father with a large service surrounded by "all the people he touched in this life." As of late September 2026, Abdidahir Nieves was in custody awaiting his arraignment on the homicide charge. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Allentown Police Department.
