In the early morning hours of October 4, 2024, the quiet of a South Whitehall Township neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Inside a home in the 3400 block of Cambridge Circle, 56-year-old Christopher E. Potter was found in a first-floor bathroom, suffering from two gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:36 a.m. The Lehigh County Coroner's Office later ruled his death a homicide.
A witness reported hearing two gunshots and seeing a man flee the residence.
Shortly after, several residents in the area contacted authorities to report a man acting suspiciously and running through yards near the home. This man was identified as 34-year-old Elvis Miguel Perez of Bethlehem. Police were able to take him into custody approximately an hour after the shooting.
During their investigation, law enforcement discovered a handgun in a garbage can at a nearby residence. The caliber of this handgun matched that of the two shell casings found inside Potter's home, linking Perez to the scene of the crime.
Elvis Miguel Perez was subsequently arrested and charged with several felonies, including criminal homicide, possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, and possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer's number. He was arraigned and sent to Lehigh County Jail without bail. Perez, a convicted felon with a criminal record that includes burglary and firearms offenses, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on October 14. Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting or the nature of the relationship, if any, between Perez and Potter. The investigation was a collaborative effort by the South Whitehall Township Police Department, the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office.
