Crime
Daycare Owner Jessica Gracia Identified in Upper Saucon Township Break-In and Fatal Shooting
Lehigh County, PA – Authorities have identified the woman involved in an armed break-in that led to a fatal shooting early Thursday morning in Upper Saucon Township.
Police say the suspect, Jessica Gracia, forcibly entered a home on West Hopewell Road while armed with a firearm and opened fire before taking her own life.
Investigators have since uncovered that Gracia was the owner of a 24/7 daycare facility, Olivia’s Family Daycare, which operated out of a home on Washington Avenue in Northampton Borough.
According to Northampton County property records, she had purchased the residence in the 1900 block of Washington Avenue on New Year’s Eve.
Neighbors confirmed that the home had recently been on the market and was sold, with one resident stating they only became aware of the daycare’s presence two weeks ago after observing children being dropped off and picked up by adults.
A woman who previously owned the Washington Avenue home revealed that Gracia had disclosed running a business from the residence.
At the time of the closing sale, Gracia was also a single parent to her 19-month-old daughter.
Despite these developments, authorities have yet to confirm a motive behind the violent incident.
It remains unclear why Gracia, a daycare owner and mother, would break into the home while armed.
The investigation is ongoing, and police have not released any additional details regarding potential connections between Gracia and the residents of the targeted home.
AUSTIN, Texas — A man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon following a shooting inside the Austin Central Library that left one person seriously injured and prompted a large emergency response and temporary shelter-in-place order in the downtown area.
According to the Austin Police Department (APD), officers responded shortly after 12:00 p.m. to reports of gunfire inside the Austin Central Library, located at 710 W. César Chávez Street.
Upon arrival, police and Austin-Travis County EMS units found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound.
The individual was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers stated during a press briefing that the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived.
After an extensive search, the suspect—identified as 55-year-old Harold Newton Keene—was located and arrested in South Austin at approximately 1:25 p.m.
The library was safely evacuated, and the shelter-in-place alert was lifted shortly after Keene’s apprehension.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident involving only one suspect and one victim.
“This was not an active shooter situation,” Rogers confirmed.
Preliminary reports and public records reveal that Harold Newton Keene has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple arrests for assault, family violence, terroristic threats, burglary, drug possession, and evading arrest.
He is described by law enforcement officials as a habitual violent offender who has had numerous prior run-ins with police.
Records indicate Keene was previously arrested for threatening a man with a firearm several months ago and, in a separate incident, assaulted another inmate while in custody at the Travis County Jail.
In both cases, prosecutors later declined to pursue charges.
Authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the shooting or confirmed whether the suspect and victim knew each other.
The Austin Police Department’s Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Austin Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.