Musikfest Shooter Sentenced to Up to Nine Years in Prison; Victim Didn’t Cooperate, Lehigh County DA Says

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

A 24-year-old Bethlehem faces as long as nine years in prison for a 2022 shooting at Musikfest.

Joshua Nathaniel Colon pleaded guilty in December to aggravated assault and a recklessly endangering, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.

That sentence was the result of a plea agreement. Holihan said the agreement was in part the result of the victim not cooperating with the investigation even though he was shot in the stomach.

If I ever get shot in the stomach, I’m definitely going to “spill my guts” to the police, so to speak.

Musikfest has venues in Northampton and Lehigh counties; the county line goes through Bethlehem.

Here are the facts, from District Attorney Holihan:

Feb. 27, 2025

District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced a state prison sentence for a man charged in a 2022 shooting that occurred at Musikfest in Bethlehem, Lehigh County.
Joshua Nathaniel Colon, DOB 2/21/2001, of Bethlehem, pleaded guilty Dec. 16, 2024, to charges of Aggravated Assault, a felony of the second degree; and a misdemeanor charge of Recklessly Endangering Another Person.
Colon was sentenced today to 3 to 9 years in a hearing before Judge James T. Anthony.
A plea agreement reached in the case was due, in part, to the victim’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation.

Around 10:38 p.m. Aug. 13, 2022, Bethlehem Police responded to a gunshot fired in the Plaza Tropical section of Musikfest located at the intersection of Main and West Lehigh streets. The victim, Jathaniel Lopez, was shot once in the stomach.
An investigation determined the shooting occurred during a dispute between two groups and was therefore not a random act.
Police immediately responded and rendered aid to Lopez. Despite the size of the large crowd in the area attending Musikfest, no other injuries were reported to police after this shooting occurred.
This case was investigated by Lehigh County’s 12th Investigating Grand Jury and Bethlehem Police Detective John Limpar. The Grand Jury heard testimony presented by Chief Deputy District Attorney Bethany S. Zampogna and Deputy District Attorney Nicolo S. Baratta.