On Wednesday morning, a woman was shot in the face outside a women's shelter in Pittsburgh's Homewood South neighborhood. A local couple was arrested in connection with the incident. Police charged Christian Nichole Wells, 28, and Kevin Michael Doubt-Young, 34, with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and drug violations. According to a criminal complaint reported by TribLIVE, Wells confessed to shooting the victim while trying to reclaim what Doubt-Young deemed as owed money from a prior drug transaction.
Emergency responders were summoned to the 7000 block of Kelly Street around 7:45 a.m., where they found the injured woman in critical condition—a status which was later updated to guarded. As detailed by WPXI, the shooting occurred after the victim allegedly stole drugs from Doubt-Young. While at a nearby apartment, Wells confronted the victim about recovering money with a firearm given to her by Doubt-Young, and during the struggle, the gun discharged when the victim attacked her, according to Wells.
The police investigation quickly focused on Wells and Doubt-Young, trailing them from the scene of the shooting to a nearby apartment using surveillance footage. Further complicating the investigation, Doubt-Young made an alarming gesture while being interrogated by authorities. As reported by WPXI, he began to consume heroin by "snorting heroin off the table" that had been smuggled into the interview room.
During questioning, Wells changed her story about the shooting, saying the gun accidentally went off from her hoodie pocket during a fight with the victim, who had punched or grabbed her. She claimed she was holding the gun to keep it from being taken when it fired, according to TribLIVE. Doubt-Young, who became ill during interrogation, was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital and said the victim confronted them about the quality of drugs and demanded a refund, which led Wells to step in.
Wells and Doubt-Young remain in custody as the legal proceedings continue and await preliminary arraignment.
