A New York woman on her way to a friend’s house was shot and killed by a homeowner when the driver of the vehicle she was riding in pulled up to the wrong address, according to authorities.
Kaylin Gillis, 20, of Schuylerville, was in a car with three other people looking for a friend’s house in the town of Hebron on Saturday at around 10 p.m. when they mistakenly drove into the driveway of the home of Kevin Monahan, 65, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphey said at a news conference on Monday.
As the driver attempted to turn the car around, authorities said Monahan came out and fired at least two shots, one of which struck Gillis.
The driver then drove to the neighboring town of Salem, where the group called 911. Emergency crews rushed to the area and performed CPR on Gillis. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
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When deputies arrived at Monahan’s property to investigate, he would not cooperate and refused to exit his house. Officials talked to him through a 911 dispatcher and in person for about an hour before he was taken into custody.Â
Monahan was arrested on a second-degree murder charge and was booked into the Warren County Jail.
“This is a very sad case of some young adults who were looking for a friend’s house and ended up at this man’s house who decided to come out with a firearm and discharge it,” Murphy said.
The group in the car never left the vehicle and did not interact with Monahan while in his driveway, the sheriff said.
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Murphy noted that the car was only in the driveway for a short time, although it is unclear exactly how long. He said the area is very rural with many dirt roads and that it is easy to get lost.
“There’s clearly no threat from anyone in the vehicle,” Murphy said. “There’s no reason for Mr. Monahan to feel threatened.”
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Murphy said he personally knew the victim’s family. “I know for a fact that she comes from a good family, a very good family. And I know them personally, and she was a young girl that was taken way too young.”
A GoFundMe page was posted to support funeral costs. The fundraiser has raised more than $38,000 as of Tuesday morning.