Woman charged in Duquesne homicide could have left apartment but shot instead, police say
A woman remained in jail Monday after a weekend argument in a Duquesne apartment ended in a fatal shooting that led to her arrest.
Police charged Latiya Hicks, 24, of Braddock with killing Lamont Nichols, 30, of Pittsburgh on Saturday evening inside a public housing apartment building on North Second Street.
Hicks and another woman, Kisstamin Davis, were inside Tamika Warrick’s unit in the Harry S. Truman Apartments when Warrick and Nichols arrived around 6 p.m., according to a criminal complaint.
It was not clear from the court paperwork why the women were in Warrick’s apartment, but police said that Davis and Nichols have a daughter together.
Warrick asked Hicks to leave because of unidentified “past problems,” prompting an argument between the two women, the complaint said.
Nichols got involved, telling Hicks and Davis that they weren’t welcome, according to the complaint.
Warrick and Davis both told police that Hicks pulled out a gun and shot Nichols.
Davis said that Hicks fired as Nichols started walking toward her.
Surveillance footage from the Allegheny County Housing Authority, which operates the seven-story building, shows Hicks standing in the doorway of apartment 404, the complaint said. The footage shows a muzzle flash from a gun.
Hicks had “a clear, unobstructed path to exit the apartment,” police said in the complaint.
Duquesne police were dispatched at 6:12 p.m. Two officers found Hicks and Davis in the hallway.
Hicks told police she shot Nichols, the complaint said.
Nichols, who was shot once in the chest, was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:23 p.m.
Police said records show that Hicks bought the 9 mm handgun last June.
Allegheny County Police charged Hicks with criminal homicide.
She was taken to the Allegheny County Jail and arraigned early Sunday, court records show. A judge denied her bail.
Hicks’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 12. Her attorney was not listed in the court record.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the county police tip line at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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