Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – A Pennsylvania judge is facing serious charges after allegedly shooting her ex-boyfriend in the head and then attempting to manipulate the situation by claiming he shot himself. The defendant, Magisterial District Judge Sonya McKnight, has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and aggravated assault following the incident that took place on February 10th in Harrisburg.
The victim, Michael McCoy, allegedly tried to end his one-year relationship with McKnight, which led to the violent confrontation. According to a probable cause affidavit, McCoy’s attempts to break up with McKnight were met with resistance, as she entered his home using a spare key after he had taken his own key from her.
After a tense interaction the evening before the shooting, McCoy went to bed only to wake up to excruciating head pain and loss of vision, with McKnight allegedly attempting to convince him that he had shot himself. However, authorities found that the gun used was registered to McKnight, and a test conducted after the shooting found gun residue on her hands, contradicting her version of events.
McCoy suffered a single gunshot wound that resulted in blindness in his right eye, highlighting the severity of the incident. McKnight, who has been an elected judge in Dauphin County since 2016, has a history of legal issues, including a previous case where she was accused of shooting her estranged husband in 2019, claiming self-defense.
This latest case has resulted in McKnight’s suspension without pay, amid a controversial judicial probation violation in a separate incident involving her son’s arrest in 2020. The judge’s troubled history and the severity of the charges she faces have raised concerns about her suitability to serve in a position of authority within the legal system.