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One dead in Cherryville; shooting suspect in custody

A Bushkill Township man suspected of a double shooting in Lehigh Township Wednesday night is in custody.

According to a source at the scene and scanner reports, John Hann, 61, of Cherry Court, was found by officers on Clearfield Road in Bethlehem around 8 a.m.

One of his victims had allegedly identified him to police, and they had watched his home over night.

Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township and state police were at the scene.

When found, Hann allegedly had his sister, a woman with special needs, with him while he had a handgun.

He surrendered to state police around 10:10 a.m.

Three nearby Bethlehem Area School District buildings, Freedom High School, East Hills Middle School and Bethlehem Area Vo-Tech, were temporarily locked off for security reasons.

Northampton Community College, in the 3800 block of Green Pond Road, also notified students of police activity at Oakland and Hecktown roads, asking people to avoid the area.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli confirmed this morning that the police activity was in relation to the deadly shooting.

Hann is suspected of shooting Joseph F. Mullner, 64, of Longacre Drive, Lehigh Township.

Mullner died as the result of multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek.

Mullner’s wife, whose name has not yet been released, was shot three times and is hospitalized in serious condition at the Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Contacted this morning, Lehigh Township Police Chief Scott Fogel said police are unsure of Hann’s motive.

“We do not have any information on that at all,” Fogel said. “That’s quite a mystery at this point.”

Police were called to 517 Longacre Drive at Old Post Road, off Cherryville Road, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

Assisting Lehigh Township Police at the scene were state police, Northampton Borough Police Department, Moore Township Police Department, Lehigh Township Fire Department, Lehigh Township Fire Police, and Northampton Regional EMS.

Fogel said that from this point, state police will be handling the bulk of the investigation.

“They’ve been incredibly helpful with this whole thing,” he said.

Check online for updates.

Nate Jastrzemski contributed to this report.

This home at 517 Longacre Drive at Old Post Road, off Cherryville Road, in Lehigh Township, is taped off following a homicide Wednesday evening. TERRY AHNER/TIMES NEWS