A Pittsburgh security guard on trial in Allegheny County told jurors Friday that his gun "went off" when he was pulled to the floor during a chaotic early-morning shooting at a Penn Hills hookah bar, a blast prosecutors say killed a 28-year-old woman. Judge Jill E. Rangos delivered her closing instructions, and jurors were told they would begin deliberations on Monday.
Jackson testified that he drew his weapon after hearing a pop and seeing muzzle flashes inside Ballers Hookah Lounge and Cigar Bar around 3 a.m. on June 2, 2024. He said a friend then yanked him to the floor and, in that moment, the gun discharged. Jackson told jurors he did not realize he had fired until days later, when he counted the bullets left in his gun. Investigators say he fired at least three rounds that morning, and one bullet, identified by a blue polymer coating, struck Stephanie Stuart in the back of the head and killed her. As reported by TribLIVE, Jackson insisted he did not "pull the trigger" or aim at anyone.
Prosecutor Presses Guard On ‘Accident’ Story
On cross-examination, Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Jameson Rohrer pressed Jackson on whether he shot Stuart. Jackson answered that he did, but again said he had not aimed. Rohrer argued to jurors that an accidental discharge does not line up with a claim of self-defense, telling them that bullets falling out of your gun is not the same thing as volitionally deciding to fire.
The defense countered that Jackson, who had been working as armed security that night, reasonably feared imminent harm and acted to protect himself and others. That framing of self-defense and Jackson’s role at the club was a central point in closing arguments, according to reporting by TribLIVE.
Case Background And Earlier Coverage
Jackson, 43, was arrested after the June incident and faces charges including criminal homicide in Stuart’s death, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person. Investigators say Nathaniel Smiley, 44, also died that morning and was likely struck by gunfire from another person who has not been charged.
Initial on-scene reporting identified the shooting location as the 3500 block of Laketon Road. Those earliest accounts and arrest coverage appeared in local outlets, including WPXI. Hoodline previously covered the July 2024 original arrest and investigation. Stuart’s family later filed a civil suit alleging the venue’s operators negligently allowed a dangerous situation to persist, according to local coverage of the filing.
What The Law Says
The prosecution has told jurors it is seeking a conviction for third-degree murder, while defense lawyers have asked the panel to weigh self-defense and consider lesser included offenses. Under Pennsylvania law, "murder of the third degree" covers "all other kinds of murder" and turns on the presence of legal malice rather than premeditation, a distinction described in state statutory summaries and case law. For statutory context, see the state criminal homicide chapter at 18 Pa. C.S. Ch. 25.
What Happens Next
Jurors were instructed to begin deliberations on Monday. How long they will be out remains an open question and could hinge on whether they accept Jackson’s account that the shooting began when others fired, or side with prosecutors, who say his actions were volitional. Whatever the timing, the panel will have to sift through competing witness accounts, forensic evidence, and the key question at the heart of the case: whether the fatal gunfire was an accident or a deliberate use of deadly force.
