Man Shot in Easton's West Ward

A man was hospitalized early Monday afternoon after being shot in Easton's West Ward.

The shooting happened around 12:20 p.m. near the intersection of 13th and Washington streets. 

Police say the victim, a 25-year-old man from the city, was in critical condition.

Police Lt. Scott Casterline told reporters on the scene the man's injuries were "very serious," but stopped short of calling them life-threatening.

According to police, witnesses saw three black men running from the area soon after the shooting. One was around 6 feet 3 inches tall, wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The other was about 5 feet 5 inches tall, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt. The third man was 5 feet 6 inches tall, also wearing a hooded sweatshirt, color unknown.

The men were last seen near Washington and Raspberry streets. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Joseph Alonzo at 610-250-6870.

Investigators were at the scene Monday afternoon, having taped off the entire 1300 block of Washington. At one point, an officer used a metal detector along the sidewalk on the north side of the street. A pool of blood was visible on the pavement.

The shooting prompted a "quiet lockdown" at , according to an e-mail alert from the Easton Area School District.

This is the second reported shooting in the West Ward in the last week. On Dec. 16, a man from New York City was shot near the Brickhouse Tavern, about a block from the scene of Monday's shooting.