A man was killed at an Erie mom's birthday party. Her son has pleaded guilty to the murder

The party at an Erie nightclub was meant to celebrate his mother's 40th birthday. It ended with a fatal shooting that has the potential to send the son to state prison for decades.

The son, Shannon D. Goodwin, 23, has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder.

He has also pleaded guilty to shooting his uncle in the wrist during the same deadly episode, which occurred on Dec. 30, 2022, at the Metroplex, 1843 Buffalo Road.

Goodwin killed Steve Smith. As he fired at Smith, Goodwin first shot Goodwin's uncle in the wrist as the uncle was trying to halt a confrontation between Goodwin and Smith, the prosecutor said.

He said Goodwin was upset because another fight had broken out moments earlier at the private birthday party for Goodwin's mother at the Metroplex.

"He was mad that people were fighting," Steven Liboski, an assistant Erie County district attorney, said after the plea hearing.

Goodwin pleaded guilty on Monday, just as jury selection was to start in his trial in Erie County Common Pleas Court.

Shooter avoids possible life sentence with plea deal

Had Goodwin gone to trial, the District Attorney's Office intended to pursue a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Smith, 38.

The plea deal allows Goodwin to avoid a mandatory life sentence had he been convicted of first-degree murder, a premeditated killing. Goodwin still faces as many as 67 years in state prison at his sentencing on April 23 before Judge John J. Mead, who accepted his plea.

Third-degree murder — an unlawful killing with malice — carries a maximum sentence of 40 years. Goodwin also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, a first-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, and carrying a firearm without a license, a third-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of seven years.

The plea deal included no sentencing recommendation.

The prosecution dropped a seven charges as part of the plea bargain. They included three other counts of aggravated assault and two counts of recklessly endangering another person. The Metroplex was crowded with about 60 people when the shooting occurred, Liboski said after the plea hearing.

He said the District Attorney's Office considered several factors in offering Goodwin the plea deal, but he declined to elaborate. He said the office consulted with the Smith's family about the plea.

Goodwin has been at the Erie County Prison without bond since his arrest in January 2023. He said little at the plea hearing, other than to confirm that he understood his rights and knew what he was doing in entering the plea.

Jones' lawyer, Rodney Blaine Jones II, of Pittsburgh, told the judge that Goodwin's license to carry the 9mm handgun used in the killing had lapsed a short time earlier. Goodwin did not realize the license had to be renewed, Jones said.

Goodwin, Jones and Liboski will be able to address Mead at the sentencing hearing. Relatives and friends of Goodwin and Smith filled the courtroom at the plea hearing and will also get a chance to speak at the sentencing.

A birthday party, a thrown chair, a shooting

The shooting was reported at 11:47 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2022, according to court records. Before the killing broke out, a fight occurred in the Metroplex over what investigators believe was the sale of a broken PlayStation videogame console, Liboski said after the plea hearing.

Smith went over to break up that fight, Liboski said. He said the evidence showed that Goodwin, upset that a fight was marring his mother's birthday party, threw a chair in the direction of the altercation, and the chair hit Smith.

Smith then approached Goodwin, Liboski said. He said Smith threw a punch at Goodwin while Goodwin's uncle, James Pulliam stood between the two and tried to calm the situation.

Goodwin pulled out a gun and fired, hitting Pulliam in the right wrist, Liboski said. He said the bullet passed through Pulliam's wrist and struck Smith in the ribs, killing him.

Erie police used video and multiple interviews of witnesses to charge Goodwin. Liboski said the shooting occurred outside the view of surveillance cameras, which he said still captured events leading up to the shooting at the party.

The evidence showed that Goodwin was aiming at Smith when he fired, Liboski said.

"Smith was the target," he said.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Son pleads guilty in murder at mom's 40th birthday party in Erie