The vehicle carrying a group of friends allegedly entered the incorrect driveway of a property in upstate New York by accident, prompting the homeowner to open fire, killing a 20-year-old passenger woman in the car.
This tragic incident happened on Saturday night, April 15.
Mistake Gone Very Bad
The Washington County Sheriff's Office said that Saratoga County resident Kaylin Gillis and her three friends were driving about looking for a friend's home in the village of Hebron when they made a mistake turn into a driveway.
Authorities say that when the automobile's driver was leaving the house where they had unintentionally pulled up, the homeowner, Kevin Monahan, fired two bullets at the car from his patio.
Gillis took a direct hit from a gunshot.
At a news conference on Monday, April 17, Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said that the 65-year-old Monahan had been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. "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."
Monahan is now being jailed in adjacent Warren County for his next court appearance in Washington County.
The Times Union quoted investigators as saying they do not think either mental illness or alcohol had a role in the incident.
The Night of Tragedy
According to The New York Post, Sheriff Murphy stated that after hearing gunshots at approximately 10:00 PM, Gillis and his companions fled with their car until they could get cell service in a nearby town and ask for assistance.
When emergency personnel arrived, Gillis was declared dead at the scene.
Murphy claims there was no interaction between the homeowner and the friends in the car.
However, Murphy did say that the automobile was only in the driveway for a "very short time."
Murphy claimed it was simple to get lost in the region since there were so many dirt roads.
The sheriff also stated it was abundantly clear that nobody in the car posed any kind of threat, so Monahan should not feel threatened at the time.
Monahan reportedly refused to cooperate with deputies when they arrived. There was "a bit of a situation" before he was brought into jail after he refused to leave his house for nearly an hour, as described by Murphy.
Devastated by Sudden Loss of Life
Those who knew Gillis and her grieving family were still in shock at the senseless shooting death of the young woman.
As per public records, Gillis' father works as a corrections officer at the Washington County prison.
Haleigh Eustis, 20, a cousin of Gillis', told The New York Post on Monday night that the victim was so young, with so much life ahead of her.
"I can't imagine how he feels right now. I know they were attached at the hip. And she had a very loving family. It's just a loving, big family, and she had such a strong backbone from being a part of this family. And I feel so much anger that she can't have that anymore."