NY woman driven to wrong address killed by homeowner

HEBRON, N.Y. — A 20year-old woman on her way to a friend’s house in upstate New York was driven to the wrong address and quickly shot to death by the homeowner, authorities said Monday.

Kevin Monahan, 65, was arrested on a second-degree murder charge for Saturday night’s fatal shooting of Kaylin Gillis at his property in Hebron, north of Albany, said Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy.

Gillis was in a car with three other people looking for a friend’s house when the group mistakenly drove up to Monahan’s house, Murphy said. As they attempted to turn the car around, Monahan came out and fired two shots, one of which hit Gillis, he said.

The group drove to the neighboring town of Salem and called 911, according to Murphy. Emergency crews arrived and performed CPR on Gillis, but she was pronounced dead.

When officers arrived at Monahan’s house to investigate the shooting, he refused to come out, Murphy said. Authorities spoke with him through a 911 dispatcher and in person for about an hour before he was taken into custody, according to the sheriff.

Monahan was booked into the Warren County jail. It wasn’t clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Murphy said at a news conference Monday that Gillis “was an innocent young girl who was out with friends looking for another friend’s house,” according to the Times Union of Albany. He said there was “no reason for Mr. Monahan to feel threatened.”

The shooting happened days after 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was shot and wounded in Kansas City, Mo., after going to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers. Authorities are investigating whether race was a factor in the shooting of Yarl, who is Black.

Race does not appear to be a factor in the New York case. From photos they both appear to be white.