This past Saturday night, 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis was shot and killed while with three friends in rural upstate New York. While Gillis and her friends were out Saturday night, they were trying to get to another friend’s house and accidentally turned up the wrong driveway. They noticed their mistake and never exited the vehicle, instead they were trying to turn the car around to continue along their way.
Meanwhile, 65-year-old homeowner Kevin Monahan came outside to see the strange car in his driveway and fired a weapon twice from his porch. One of the shots hit Gillis through the vehicle and the group of friends continued to drive away, this time frantically searching for an area that had enough cell phone reception for them to call 911.
By the time first responders made it to them in Salem, about 5 miles from Monahan’s property in Hebron, Gillis was tragically beyond help. First responders attempted to administer CPR but were unsuccessful and had to pronounce Gillis dead at the scene.
Local Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy stated that the area is “easy to get lost” in with all its dirt roads, and “there was clearly no threat from anyone in the vehicle” as they were attempting to turn around and none of the passengers exited the car or interacted with Monahan at all prior to shots being fired.
When police made their way to Monahan’s home, Monahan was uncooperative and “refused to exit his residence to speak with police.” Within hours, Monahan was placed in police custody and is expected to appear in court to face a second-degree murder charge.
Kaylin Gillis was a kind and beloved friend, sister, and daughter. A GoFundMe page has been posted to assist the family with funeral costs and other expenses; so far $40,000 has been raised for the Gillis family.