Hallucinating West Hazleton Man Charged For Shooting Sister

On Monday, July 08, at approximately 7:05 pm, the West Hazleton Borough Police Department received a report of gunshots fired inside a North Broad Street address. Upon their arrival, officers were notified there was a female gunshot victim inside a 2nd floor apartment, the gunman was currently armed, and was still inside the same residence. Officers immediately made entry into the building where they encountered a wounded female, along with multiple occupants found within (2) separate apartments.  

Police identified the shooter as Tauriq Qayyum (30), West Hazleton, and he was subsequently taken into custody. An investigation revealed Qayyum had been consuming alcohol and ingesting cocaine along with psilocybin mushrooms when he began hallucinating. Quayyum retrieved a revolver and began wildly firing shots at imagined intruders inside his apartment, and a nearby common area. Qayyum fired (1) of the shots into the chest and abdomen of the female gunshot victim, who was identified as Qayyum’s sister. At least (1) of the other fired shots struck a neighboring apartment door, and numerous projectiles penetrated the door and occupied living area within the residence.  

Multiple firearms owned by Qayyum, along with controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia were seized during an investigation into this incident. 

Qayyum faces Felony and Misdemeanor charges including; Aggravated Assault, Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Structure and Recklessly Endangering another Person.  Qayyum was charged and transported to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility where he awaits an arraignment on the charges. 

During the course of this incident the West Hazleton Borough Police Department was assisted by the Hazleton City Police Department, Sugarloaf Township Police Department, Butler Township Police Department, Conygham Borough Police Department, Freeland Borough Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the West Hazleton Borough Fire Department.