Pennsylvania Judge Convicted of Attempted Murder After Shooting Sleeping Boyfriend in the Head
Repeat Shooter Sonya McKnight Found Guilty After Victim Survives Attack with Permanent Injury
A Pennsylvania judge was convicted on Wednesday of attempted murder and aggravated assault after she shot her boyfriend in the head while he was sleeping—a brutal act that left the victim permanently blind in one eye.
Judge Sonya McKnight, a magisterial district judge in Dauphin County, was found guilty by a jury in Cumberland County for the February 2024 shooting of Michael McCoy, who had recently attempted to end their relationship.
The Attack: A Shooting During Sleep
Authorities say the incident took place on February 10, 2024, in a Harrisburg home shared by the couple. McCoy, who had been dating McKnight for about a year, reportedly told her to move out shortly before the shooting.
Later that night, while McCoy was asleep, McKnight allegedly shot him in the temple. Miraculously, McCoy survived but sustained severe, permanent damage, including blindness in one eye.
According to court documents, McCoy awoke with “massive head pain” and immediately realized he couldn’t see. He later told police that McKnight tried to convince him he had shot himself, despite the implausibility of the claim.
Prosecutor: “Only Two People in That House”
“There were two people in that house, and only two people in that house,” District Attorney Sean McCormack said after the verdict. “And one of them, the one who was shot, said he did not shoot himself.”
Jurors agreed with the prosecution, delivering convictions on attempted murder and aggravated assault.
A Disturbing Pattern: Second Shooting Incident Involving McKnight
This is not the first time McKnight has used a firearm on a romantic partner. In a previous domestic dispute with her ex-husband, McKnight shot him in the groin during what she described as an argument over furniture.
That incident did not result in criminal charges, as she successfully claimed self-defense at the time. However, it raises serious concerns about a pattern of escalating violence in McKnight’s personal relationships.
Sentencing and Judicial Consequences
McKnight is currently awaiting sentencing, where she faces decades in prison. Her conviction also raises immediate questions about her judicial standing and the cases she previously presided over.
The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board has not yet issued a statement, but a conviction of this nature typically results in immediate removal from the bench and judicial disbarment.
The Aftermath
Michael McCoy continues to recover from the devastating injuries he sustained. Despite surviving the shooting, he now faces a lifetime of disability and trauma.
The case has captured public attention not just for the shocking details of the crime, but also because of the extraordinary betrayal of public trust involved when a sitting judge—an officer of the law—commits such a violent crime.
More on this developing story is available from WHTM – ABC27 News and NBC News.
