Three men shot while putting up Christmas lights in Juniata

Going outside to put up Christmas lights put three people in Juniata in the path of bullets.

Three men were wounded after being fired upon while decorating homes in Juniata on Wednesday, police said.

The three were “decorating their residences with Christmas lights” on the 4000 block of Howland Street in Juniata around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday when a dark gray Chevy Impala rolled past, according to a police report.

“The vehicle drove approximately 30 to 40 feet past the complainants, then slowed down, stopped, and backed up to where the complainants were standing,” a police report stated. “The front passenger then asked the complainants if they had a problem and if they had hit his car.”

“At that time, another male who was standing outside with the complainants, asked the front passenger if he had a problem,” the police report continues.

The front passenger then pulled out a handgun and began firing as the car drove away and turned down Lycoming Street.

Police were called at 10:46 p.m. Three men were hospitalized in stable condition. A 28-year-old was shot in the back, a 36-year-old was shot in the upper arm, and a 34-year-old was shot twice in the abdomen.

Police described the shooter as a black male in his 20s wearing a tight gray knitted cap and armed with a dark gray semi-auto handgun. The driver was described as a black male with shoulder length hair or dreadlocks.

The motive was listed as unknown. The victims were not identified.