Photo: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
A New York man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a 20-year-old who was the passenger in a car that inadvertently pulled into his driveway.
Kevin Monahan was convicted of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, and tampering with physical evidence in the death of Kaylin Gillis on April 15, 2023.
Gillis and her friends were looking for a friend's house in the area but got lost and had no cell service. They pulled into Monahan's driveway by mistake, along with another vehicle and a motorcycle.
Monahan argued that he was acting in self-defense when he grabbed his shotgun and went outside to confront the vehicles in his driveway. He fired a warning shot in the air but then claimed that he tripped and lost his balance, which caused him to fire a second shot, which fatally struck Gillis in the neck as the vehicles were leaving.
The vehicles sped away from Monahan's house and called 911 once they regained cell phone service. Gillis was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Monahan expressed remorse for his actions, saying he feels "like my soul is dead."