A tragic mistake has led to the death of a 20-year-old woman in Hebron, New York. Kaylin Gillis was on her way to a friend’s house with three other passengers when their vehicle accidentally pulled into the driveway of Kevin Monahan, 65.
Instead of simply asking them to leave, Monahan opened fire and hit Gillis with two rounds from his front porch. Despite the group’s efforts to get help in the neighboring town of Salem, Gillis was declared dead at the scene.
Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy spoke at a press conference on Monday and described the incident as very sad. The young adults were simply looking for a friend’s house in the neighborhood when they mistakenly pulled up at Monahan’s house. Unfortunately, Monahan’s reaction was extreme and unnecessary, leading to the tragic loss of a young life.
Sheriff Murphy noted that there was no interaction between the group and Monahan, and there was no reason for him to feel threatened. No one left the vehicle, and no one in the car posed a threat to Monahan.
The incident has sparked anger and disbelief across the country, particularly as it follows a similar incident in Kansas City, Missouri. Sixteen-year-old Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager, was shot twice by Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old white homeowner, when he arrived at the wrong address to pick up his siblings.
Getting lost in a rural area is easy due to the many dirt roads, and there can be no excuse for Monahan’s actions. The victim’s family is devastated, and the community is in mourning. Monahan refused to cooperate with law enforcement and wouldn’t leave his home for over an hour when deputies arrived to investigate the incident. He was eventually arrested on second-degree murder charges and booked into the Warren County Jail.
