Woman in car that went to wrong address fatally shot by homeowner, authorities say

A 20-year-old woman was fatally shot by a homeowner in New York after the car in which she was a passenger mistakenly pulled into the man’s driveway, authorities say. 

The sheriff’s office in Washington County arrested and charged Kevin Monahan, 65, with murder in the second degree for the killing of Kaylin Gillis.

According to police, Monahan fired “at least two shots,” one of which struck Gillis, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The homeowner was “uncooperative with the investigation and refused to exit his residence to speak with police,” authorities added.

Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said at a press conference that Gillis “was an innocent young girl who was out with friends looking for another friend’s house” and there was “no reason for Mr. Monahan to feel threatened,” especially given the indications that the vehicle was leaving the rural-area driveway.

The fatal shooting in New York comes after authorities said a Black teen, Ralph Yarl, was shot twice and wounded by a white male homeowner in Kansas City, Mo. after going to the wrong address to pick up his younger brothers from a friend’s house.