COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP - Police are continuing to piece together exactly what happened early Thursday morning in Coolbaugh Township near Tobyhanna.
The shooting left one teen with a gunshot wound to the head and put another behind bars. People who live nearby said they are shaken by what happened.
"I want to get my kids out of here as soon as possible. It's not the first time. It's been a lot in this area, and it's to the point where I don't think it's a family oriented area at all," said Jace Sigelkow of Tobyhanna.
Dominique Smith, 17, of Tobyhanna now faces charges including attempted homicide. Police said he fired seven shots into a car with five teenagers.
Police said the argument started over a drug deal involving $30 worth of marijuana. According to court papers, Smith became upset with how the deal was going and fired into the car. A 17-year-old girl in the passenger seat was shot in the head.
"I`m originally from New York City, we moved here for a better life, and I just feel that it`s sad and disappointing. Our youth is the future generation and unfortunately it`s going backwards instead of forwards," said Virna Rodriguez of Tobyhanna.
Rodriguez said her 19-year old daughter knows the shooting victim. "
Her family is in our prayers that`s all i can say. We`re hoping for the best and we hope that she makes it," said Rodriguez.
Jace Sigelkow home-schools his two young children because of the violence and drugs he said surround his community.
"You hear gun shots at two o'clock in the morning. This is probably three times a week. You see kids out at two or three o`clock in the morning and you wonder where their parents are at that point," said Sigelkow.
"Drugs are always a problem, but unfortunately it's not the solution. When you're involved in drugs, there's always going to be a bad end," said Rodriguez.
The 17-year old was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital and at last check the hospital said it had no information on her condition.
We did talk with a student today who said he knows all of the teens involved in the shooting. He said he was hurt his friends were involved, and he worries he could end up being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The teen also said he hopes his friends realize that drugs are not the answer.