'I didn't have to shoot her,' suspect in South Side barbershop killing says

A Baldwin woman charged in a fatal shooting at a barber shop Saturday in Pittsburgh’s South Side turned herself in, and later told police she didn’t need to shoot the woman she had been in a two-year dispute with, according to court records.

Myairah Carter, 25, was being held in the Allegheny County Jail after being arraigned on a homicide charge Sunday and denied bail.

The victim, Rayon Williams, 26, of McKeesport, died at UPMC Mercy hospital. She had been shot in the chest and neck at Bonez Barbershop at 1221 East Carson St.

The shooting was reported to police just before 1 p.m. and captured on the barbershop’s surveillance cameras, police said in court filings.

Police said the video shows Carter sitting in a barber’s chair at the shop, her arms concealed by a cape. Williams and two of the shop’s staff are standing next to her.

Williams is seen holding a cellphone in her right hand. When she steps toward Carter, Carter opens fire from under the cape.

Williams runs to the back of the shop and collapses. Carter gets up, brandishes her gun and leaves.

Police said Carter drove to her Baldwin home. She called her mother and girlfriend before calling 911 to turn herself in.

Police reported finding a firearm registered to Carter in her vehicle.

Police said Carter agreed to speak with them. According to a summary in court records, Carter told police she and Williams “had an ongoing dispute since 2023, when Williams stole Carter’s firearm over them dating the same person.”

When Carter went to the barbershop Saturday, Williams was already there. After sitting down in a barber’s chair, Carter, who is left-handed, said she placed her gun on her left thigh under the cape for comfort.

Carter told police Williams wanted to go outside and fight, and that Williams said “she was going to hit her, causing her hair to get messed up.“ Carter said Williams told her that she “had to go outside sometime,” according to police.

Carter said that Williams stepped toward her with her left hand holding the bottom of her shirt. Asked if she saw if Williams was armed, Carter told police she did not see Williams with a firearm.

After Williams stepped toward her, Carter told police she did not know if Williams was going to hit her or shoot her, so she fired three shots from under the cape.

Police reported recovering three fired 9mm shell casings at the shop.

Asked if she felt she needed to shoot Williams, Carter said, “No, I didn’t have to shoot her,” according to court records.

Carter’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 17.