On March 23, 2023, at approximately 6:40 p.m., 39-year-old Darnelle Thompson was fatally shot in the 500 block of North Fourth Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Responding officers found Thompson suffering from gunshot wounds; he was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation revealed that the shooting occurred during a confrontation involving two teenage girls.
During the altercation, 19-year-old Abner Juarbe of Bethlehem intervened and shot Thompson. Less than 24 hours prior to the incident, Juarbe had stolen a firearm from a victim at a hotel in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
Juarbe was arrested and charged with third-degree murder, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery. On August 1, 2023, he pleaded guilty to the charges. Subsequently, on October 21, 2024, Juarbe was sentenced to serve 22 to 50 years in state prison for his role in Thompson's death.
Thompson's death was one of several violent incidents in Allentown during that period, prompting concerns among residents and calls for increased police presence to address the rising gun violence.
In the wake of his passing, Thompson's family and friends held funeral services on April 3, 2023, at South Hempstead Baptist Church in Hempstead, New York, providing an opportunity for loved ones to pay their respects and honor his memory.
