AUSTINTOWN — A relative of Ashley Lockhart, 25, shot to death Friday night outside of the Compass West apartments, is raising money to benefit Lockhart’s 5-year-old daughter, Autumn.

Katelyn Lofaro, Lockhart’s cousin, started a GoFundMe page titled “Expenses for Autumn as she grows” that raised $2,255 as of Monday night.

“Ashley was a wonderful mother. She was very hard working. Everything she did was for her daughter Autumn,” Lofaro said in the introduction section of the fundraiser.

Lockhart was Lofaro’s cousin and “my best friend,” Lofaro said. “Autumn deserves so much better than this. She’s a beautiful amazing little girl, who has to grow up like most kids never will.”

The shooting began with an Austintown police dispatcher receiving a 10:37 p.m. call from a woman about an ongoing domestic dispute. The dispatcher could hear arguing between the caller and the man, Lt. Tom Collins of the Austintown Police Department said Saturday afternoon.

The dispatcher “heard multiple shots through the phone and then screaming,” Collins said, and then the dispatcher realized the woman had been shot. It happened outside of the building at 1057 Compass West Drive. The dispatcher heard six shots.

Lofaro and another woman have identified Lockhart, 25, as the victim of the shooting on the GoFundMe site and social media.

Austintown police said they later arrested Steve W. Green III, 24, in the killing after he turned himself in to police and confessed to the killing.

Green does not appear to have any criminal history in Mahoning County Common Pleas criminal courts, county area courts or Youngstown Municipal Court.

Lofaro’s post says Lockhart and Green split up about a year ago, and Lockhart feared for her life — but was saving messages from Green so she could turn them over to police.

“This time she called 911 after he put a gun to her head, but this time he pulled the trigger,” Lofaro’s post alleges.

A Sunday-evening post on Facebook from Michelle Huff that includes a photo of Lockhart says of Lockhart: “Everything everyone has said about our sweet and sassy Ashley Lockhart says it all.”

The post does not say whether she is immediate family, but the post suggests she is.

“Ashley you know that we will all keep our promise to love and cherish sweet little Autumn and share with her how much you loved her just like you did every day.

“She will grow up proud of her mommy. I should be texting you right now giving you advice or asking you for a favor instead of writing this. My heart as with our entire family’s is in pieces but you will be forever inside them. I love you.”

Collins said that with help from Green’s family, Green was persuaded to turn himself in to police. Austintown police followed him to the police station “and he admitted to the shooting,” Collins said.

Green was booked into the jail Saturday.

erunyan@vindy.com