Police say Jessica Hilliard was among several people who stepped outside Niki’s Quick Six before a gunman fired into the group.

PARKS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 36-year-old Vandergrift man is facing homicide and attempted homicide charges after police said he opened fire outside an Armstrong County bar, killing Jessica Hilliard and wounding three other people.

The case against David Dunmire centers on what investigators describe as a fast-moving fight outside Niki’s Quick Six on April 26. Police say Hilliard, a 34-year-old mother of three from Apollo, was not the person first involved in the parking lot dispute but was among those who went outside after a woman came into the bar saying she had been attacked.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, troopers were called to the bar at 1024 1st St. at 1:16 a.m. for a report of shots fired. Kiskiminetas Patrol Officer Aaron Artz was the first officer at the scene, police said. The state police report lists Trooper Timothy Reilly as the investigating officer and describes the case as a criminal homicide investigation. Police said Hilliard and Rebecca Boston, 24, of McIntyre, were found at the scene. Two other gunshot victims, Hector Saballos, 34, and Dominik Dellach, 25, both of Vandergrift, left before troopers arrived and later were listed in stable condition. Boston was listed in critical condition after the shooting.

Police said Dunmire remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident. Troopers secured the area and notified the Armstrong County District Attorney’s Office and the Armstrong County Coroner’s Office. District Attorney Katie Charlton approved a criminal homicide charge, according to the state police release. Court records cited by local reports say Dunmire also faces attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault counts tied to the three surviving victims. He was arraigned after his arrest and later appeared for a preliminary hearing, where the case was held for court.

The complaint described a confrontation that began with an argument in the parking lot. A woman went inside Niki’s Quick Six and said she had been jumped outside, police said. Several people then went through the door, including Hilliard. Investigators said Dunmire pulled out a firearm and fired seven rounds toward the crowd. Hilliard was struck multiple times in the chest and died at the scene. The exact sequence of the fight before the gunfire remains part of the criminal case, and police have not said publicly what led to the first argument.

Hilliard’s sisters said she stepped in because she believed someone was in danger. “Our sister died a hero, and she is the kind of person who would always jump in to help anybody, regardless of if she knew them or not,” Amanda Evacheck said in an interview with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4. Hailey Frawley, another sister, said Hilliard and another person tried to stop what they believed was an attack on a woman. “That individual who was, you know, going after the female is the person who ended up shooting,” Frawley said.

The police report named four victims: Hilliard, Boston, Saballos and Dellach. It also identified Dunmire as the accused and said the shooting happened after a physical altercation in the parking lot outside the bar. Officials have not released a full public account of each person’s role in the minutes before the shots were fired. The state police release said the investigation was ongoing, and the later court process left prosecutors to present the case through testimony, records and any available video evidence.

At the preliminary stage, the question was not whether Dunmire was guilty but whether prosecutors had enough evidence to move the charges forward. Local reports said homicide and attempted homicide charges were held for court after a hearing in Leechburg. The next stage places the case before the Armstrong County Court of Common Pleas, where prosecutors may seek formal arraignment, pretrial motions and a trial date. Dunmire has not been convicted, and the charges remain accusations unless proven in court.

The shooting also drew attention to Niki’s Quick Six after the criminal case began. The bar later closed abruptly after Armstrong County sheriff’s deputies served owner Niki Hosack with civil documents. Sheriff Frank Pitzer said the papers were not tied to a lawsuit, and court staff described the matter as an emergency injunction. A later closed-door hearing ended with what officials called an amicable resolution, but details were not released because records were kept from public view under a protective order.

Family members described Hilliard as a devoted mother whose children were the focus of her daily life. Frawley said Hilliard stayed on top of her children’s health needs and worked hard to care for them. Evacheck said the family’s attention turned to funeral arrangements and the children’s future after the shooting. A fundraiser created for the family said Hilliard acted with courage in her final moments and left “an unimaginable hole” for those who loved her.

Parks Township is in Armstrong County, northeast of Pittsburgh, near Vandergrift and Apollo. The shooting brought state police, local officers, county prosecutors and the coroner’s office into a case that began as a late-night call to a small bar and became a homicide prosecution. Police said one woman died, three people survived gunshot wounds and the accused remained at the scene before officers took him into custody.

The criminal case is now moving through Armstrong County court, with prosecutors pursuing charges tied to Hilliard’s death and the injuries to Boston, Saballos and Dellach. State police have said the investigation remains open.

Author note: Last updated 2026-05-21.