KC father pursues wrongful death lawsuit, settlement after stepfather allegedly shot son
After a Kansas City teen was fatally shot — allegedly by his stepfather — during a domestic violence incident in 2023, the boy’s father has brought a wrongful death lawsuit against his ex-wife, the teen’s mother and the alleged shooter’s wife.
Steven Lester Woods allegedly shot and killed Joseph Michael Bonacorso, 18, on Sept. 24, 2023. Woods is currently facing five felony charges in Bonacorso’s death, including first-degree murder and first-degree assault.
John A. Bonacorso, 40, filed the wrongful death suit against Rosa Woods Monday in Jackson County court.
The lawsuit indicates that Bonacorso has reached a proposed $300,000 settlement with Woods under her insurance policy with USAA, also named as a party to the suit.
Steven Woods allegedly shot Joseph Bonacorso at the Woods’ home in the 1300 block of Northeast 119th Terrace in Kansas City’s Northland. Shortly before the shooting, Rosa Woods, Joseph’s mother, had confronted Steven in person for allegedly cheating on her via text, according to court documents.
While preparing to leave, Rosa Woods allegedly grabbed Steven Woods’ phone and fled to a bathroom, according to court documents. He followed and allegedly assaulted her, throwing her into the bathtub multiple times while another woman in the house tried to intervene, court documents read.
Rosa Woods eventually barricaded herself in the bathroom and called her son, according to court documents. When Joseph Bonacorso arrived and tried to get the two women in the house to leave with him, Steven Woods allegedly confronted him with a gun, then shot the teen when he allegedly brandished a knife, court documents read.
As Steven Woods fired, Rosa Woods was also hit by a bullet, according to court documents. Steven Woods allegedly told investigators that the gun discharged accidentally as he “fumbled” with the safety.
After the shooting, Steven Woods resigned from his job as a special education teacher at Maple Elementary School. He was booked into the Clay County Detention Center on June 24, 2023, where he remains on a $2 million bond.
According to court documents, Steven Woods had shot and injured John Bonacorso in 2016, which a court ruled occurred in self-defense.
John Bonacorso previously filed a personal injury lawsuit against Steven and Rosa Woods in 2021. The lawsuit is still pending in Jackson County court.
An attorney representing John Bonacorso was unavailable to comment on the wrongful death lawsuit. Court records do not list an attorney for Rosa Woods.
Joseph Michael Bonacorso, known to loved ones as “Joe Mike”, was a senior at Staley High School who had hoped to study to become an electric or diesel mechanic after graduation, according to an obituary shared online. Bonacorso had worked at multiple family businesses since he was 14, the obituary read, and was extremely proud of the truck which he had saved up to buy at 16.
Joseph was proud of his identities as a Catholic, an Italian, and a fan of the Yankees and Chiefs, the obituary reads. He also loved playing baseball, collecting shoes and spending time with friends, relatives wrote, and was fiercely protective of his two sisters.
“Joe Mike was kind, generous, and died a hero,” the obituary reads. “...He touched many lives and loved each of them dearly.”
A case management conference for John Bonacorso’s wrongful death lawsuit has been scheduled for July 2 at 9 a.m. Steven Woods will next appear in court for his criminal charges on March 20 at 9 a.m. He is still expected to face a jury trial as of Tuesday.
Joseph Bonacorso’s death was the 145th homicide reported in Kansas City in 2023, according to data collected by The Star.
Previous reporting by Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this article.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 3:18 PM.
