Pennsylvania Woman Kills Boyfriend's Daughter After Being Dared to Draw 9mm Pistol

Lacole Dotson, 27, of Freemansburg, PA, fatally shot her boyfriend's daughter and wounded the boyfriend after being taunted to pull out her gun.

Freemansburg Woman Charged With Homicide After Fatal Saturday Morning Shooting

A 27-year-old Pennsylvania woman fatally shot her boyfriend's daughter and wounded the boyfriend himself during an early morning confrontation at a Freemansburg home, according to Law & Crime.

Lacole Dotson, of Freemansburg, faces charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the Saturday morning incident on Market Street. She is being held without bail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 1.

Officers responding to a 911 call found two gunshot victims at the scene: Atirah Steed, 27, and her father Alphonso Steed, 45. Alphonso Steed was discovered on the porch alongside a 9 mm handgun. Both were transported to a hospital, where Atirah Steed was pronounced dead approximately one hour later. Alphonso Steed remained in critical but stable condition as of Monday.

Dotson and Alphonso Steed were in a relationship and share a 1-year-old child, police said. According to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC affiliate WCAU, the three were together on the porch around 2 a.m. when Dotson made a remark that upset Atirah Steed, causing her to go inside.

The following morning, Dotson confronted Atirah Steed about the incident from the night before and told her she intended to use her gun on Alphonso Steed. "I'm not playing with y'all," Dotson allegedly said. In response, Atirah Steed told her, "Pull it out, might as well use it" — moments before the shooting began. A nearby witness reported hearing "pop, pop, pop" as the gunfire erupted.

Dotson was arrested after telling that same witness she would call police on herself. During a subsequent interview with investigators, she claimed she had felt threatened by Atirah Steed.

Police also noted a prior incident in 2025 involving Dotson and Steed in which a pair of scissors was involved, though no charges were ever filed in that case.

Source: Law & Crime