By: Richard L. Smith
EDITORIAL NOTE 4:22 pm : A previous image of a potential suspect was removed from our website at the request of Pennsylvania law enforcement authorities.
A Newark native who had recently left the city to begin a new chapter in life living with her father and two children was killed following a domestic dispute inside a Pennsylvania home, according to court records obtained by RLS Media.
Atirah Nitay Steed, 27, had recently moved to Freemansburg, Pennsylvania, where she was settling into a new home with her father after leaving Newark’s Pilgrim Baptist Village Housing Complex of of Avon Avenue.
Her life ended after authorities said an argument inside the residence on Saturday morning escalated into gunfire, leaving Steed dead and her father seriously wounded.
I learned that Steed was a graduate of Barringer High School in Newark, where those who knew her remembered a quiet, hardworking student who was also a talented athlete.
Teachers and staff members who spoke with RLS Media described Steed as a very nice young woman who was dedicated to her schoolwork and generally kept to herself.
Former Barringer head track coach William Crowell told RLS Media that Steed ran track for the school during approximately the 2014-2017 period.
Crowell remembered her as a “quiet girl” who was “just a pleasure to have around and on the team,” adding that she was very athletic.
The memories from Newark paint a picture of Steed beyond the circumstances surrounding her death; a former student-athlete, daughter and mother of two who had recently relocated and was settling into life outside the city.
According to information contained in Pennsylvania court records, the deadly encounter involved Steed’s father, Mr. Alphonso Steed, 45, and his girlfriend, Ms, Lacole Diane Dotson, 27.
Authorities said Dotson and Alphonso Steed were in a relationship and reportedly share a 1-year-old child.
Court records allege that the three were together on the porch of the Freemansburg residence at approximately 2 a.m. when a conversation became tense.
Investigators said something Dotson said upset Atirah, who eventually went to bed.
Several hours later, according to the criminal complaint, the disagreement resurfaced.
Investigators allege Dotson confronted Atirah about the earlier exchange and made a statement about using her 9 mm handgun on Alphonso.
The complaint alleges Atirah responded by challenging Dotson to produce the weapon.
Authorities said the confrontation then turned violent when Dotson allegedly opened fire, striking both Atirah and her father.
Atirah suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her father survived the shooting and was reported to be in critical but stable condition.
According to court records, Dotson told investigators that she felt threatened by Atirah before the shooting.
That statement represents Dotson’s account of the confrontation and has not been established in court as justification for the shooting or as a proven motive.
Investigators also documented a previous confrontation involving Atirah and Dotson in 2025 that reportedly involved a pair of scissors. Authorities said no charges resulted from that incident.
Dotson was taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide, attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. She was ordered held without bail.
Pennsylvania authorities have not publicly released additional information surrounding the case.
The family had setup a Gofundme page asking the public to assist with final funeral preparations .
Click HERE
The investigation remains active and ongoing, and the allegations contained in the criminal complaint have not been proven in court.