A man has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot and killed a young woman who was in a car that mistakenly pulled into his driveway in rural New York.
The incident occurred on Saturday night in the small town of Hebron when a group of four young adults were looking for a friend’s house in the area when they drove their car up the wrong driveway.
They were turning around after realizing their error when the homeowner 65-year-old Kevin Monahan came outside with a gun and fired at their vehicle killing Kaylin Gillis, according to Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy.
Monahan has been charged with murder of the 20 year-old.
Sheriff Murphy told a press conference: “It’s a very rural area, it’s dirt roads, there’s not a lot of cellular service or any type of internet... it’s easy to get lost.”
Monahan fired at least two shots, one of which struck Ms Gillis, it is alleged.
The group drove away and, due to poor cellphone reception, wasn’t able to contact 911 until reaching the nearby town of Salem.
First responders arrived on scene and attempted to perform lifesaving measures on Ms Gillis, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff described Gill as “an innocent, young girl” and said she comes from “a very good family,” whom he knows “personally.”
He added: “This is a very sad case. There was no reason for Mr Monahan to feel threatened, especially as it appears the vehicle was leaving at the time.”
Murphy said there was no known interaction between the group and Monahan and that investigators believe the car was only in his driveway for a “very short time” before shots were fired.
The sheriff would not disclose what type of firearm was used.
When investigators determined that Monahan was the owner of the residence in Hebron, they attempted to make contact with him but he refused to leave his home to speak with them, according to Murphy.
Monahan, who Murphy said has no known criminal history, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
He has been remanded in custody in New York.
