A Woman, 20, Was Shot After Using The Wrong Driveway & The Homeowner Faces Murder Charges
Tributes are pouring in for Kaylin Gillis, a 20-year-old who was shot and killed after she and her friends turned into the wrong driveway on a road trip through upstate New York.
The shooting happened on Saturday, April 15, near the towns of Hebron and Salem, New York, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
Gillis was in a car with her friends when they turned up the wrong driveway, according to a GoFundMe page set up by her family and friends. The group recognized their mistake and turned around, but authorities say the homeowner "fired at least two shots" at them as they left.
One of those shots hit Gillis, who was in the passenger's seat, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
The car got away and pulled over on a nearby road to call 911. Authorities showed up and Gillis was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
“She was an innocent young girl who was out with friends, looking for another friend’s house,” Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said at a news conference on Monday.
"Unfortunately, they drove up this driveway."
Murphy added that there was "no reason" for the homeowner to feel threatened, especially since the shots were fired while the car was leaving the property.
Police say they went back to the home and confronted the homeowner, but he was "uncooperative with the investigation and refused to exit his residence to speak with police."
State police eventually showed up, and helped arrest him after "several hours."
Kevin D. Monahan, 65, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the incident.
His lawyer told the New York Times that "a series of errors" led to the "tragedy," and it's "too soon to say more than that."
Many paid tribute to the woman on a GoFundMe page for her family.
"Outrageous!" wrote one person. "This could have been us or anyone else making the same mistake."
"This should have never happened," added another.
The fatal shooting comes just a few days after a Black teenager named Ralph Yarl was shot in Missouri after ringing an 84-year-old white man's doorbell. Yarl suffered critical gunshots wounds to his head and arm and has since been discharged from the hospital, CNN reports. The homeowner was initially taken into custody but was soon released pending an investigation.
The Missouri shooting triggered protests over the weekend, and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $2.75 million to cover his medical costs.
Missouri is one of several states with a "stand your ground" law that allows homeowners to use deadly force in certain cases where their home is being broken into.
New York state has no such law.
Well-wishers have pledged more than $57,000 to support Gillis' family through her GoFundMe campaign.
The charge has yet to be tested in court.
Javonte DaleyTPS