On June 2, 2024, a mass shooting at Ballers Hookah Lounge and Cigar Bar in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, left 28-year-old Stephanie Stuart of McKeesport dead. The shooting occurred shortly before 3 a.m. after an altercation inside the establishment, when multiple people opened fire. A second fatality was 44-year-old Nathaniel Smiley Jr. of Pittsburgh; seven others were wounded.

Authorities arrested 42-year-old Chaz Jackson, an armed security guard working at the lounge that night, and charged him with homicide in connection with Stuart’s death, plus aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person for injuries to at least one surviving victim. Detectives testified that unique ammunition from Jackson’s weapon matched the bullet that struck Stuart, while Jackson said his gun discharged accidentally during the chaos.

Stuart’s family has filed a wrongful death suit against the property owner and manager, alleging negligence and calling the unlicensed lounge a public nuisance, noting two prior shootings at the location in the previous month. The investigation remains active; anyone who was at the lounge or has information is asked to come forward.