Background: Law enforcement investigates a shooting outside Niki”s Quick Six bar in Parks Township, Pennsylvania, on April 26, 2026 (WTAE/YouTube). Inset: Jessica Hilliard (GoFundMe).
When a Pennsylvania mother heard a woman cry out for help at a bar, she rushed to her aid — just to be gunned down by the man the victim was running from, authorities say.
David Dunmire, 36, is charged with criminal homicide in the death of 34-year-old Jessica Hilliard, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show. He also faces three charges of attempted criminal homicide and several counts of aggravated assault.
At about 1 a.m. on Sunday, Hilliard was at Niki’s Quick Six bar in Parks Township, Pennsylvania, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE. Dunmire was also there, though outside, authorities said, and he was arguing with a woman.
This woman reportedly entered the bar and told people that she had been jumped outside. Hilliard and multiple others exited through the door — and Dunmire pulled out a gun and fired seven rounds at the crowd, hitting four people, according to police.
Hilliard was hit multiple times in the chest. She died.
One other victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and two others were listed in stable condition, authorities said.
“A man was possibly putting his hands on a female, and her and another friend, you know, tried to step in and stop it,” Hilliard’s sister, Hailey Frawley, told the local outlet. “And that individual who was, you know, going after the female is the person who ended up shooting.”
Dunmire remained at the scene and was arrested. He was arraigned later that day and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 7.
Hilliard is being hailed as a hero.
“Jessica passed away after being shot while trying to stop a man from hurting a woman,” a GoFundMe set up for her family states. “In her final moments, she acted with courage and selflessness—putting herself in harm’s way to protect someone else.”
“Jessica was the kind of person who stepped in when someone needed help,” the fundraiser adds, noting that she was a mother of three. “She was protective, strong, and deeply loved. Her loss has left an unimaginable hole in the hearts of everyone who knew her.”
Parks Township, Pennsylvania, is located just northeast of Pittsburgh.
