Jonathan Mendelsohn
Saratoga County resident Kaylin Gillis, 20, was shot and killed by homeowner Kevin Monahan, 65, when her friends pulled into the wrong driveway. Gillis was a passenger in a car with three of her friends when they were looking for another friend’s house, and accidentally pulled into the driveway of Monahan’s home in Hebron, which is a small town in upstate New York.
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When the car containing Gillis was pulling out of the driveway, Monahan came out of his residence with a firearm and fired two bullets at the vehicle, resulting in the young woman’s death. After the police came to the scene, they found an uncooperative Monahan, resulting in a struggle. Soon, Monahan was arrested and he is facing second-degree murder charges.
Tragic Shooting Death of Young Woman
Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy spoke publicly about the tragic case, saying, “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. There’s clearly no threat from anyone in the vehicle. There’s no reason for Mr. Monahan to feel threatened.” Murphy also reported that the car was parked in Monahan’s driveway for an extremely brief amount of time and that the area around Monahan’s home is very “easy to get lost” in, so it’s an understatement to say that Monahan overreacted.
Gillis was hit by one of the bullets fired from Monahan’s gun. The slain woman’s friends drove away from Monahan’s neighborhood and after they called for help, first responders pronounced Gillis dead.
Gillis’ cousin, Haleigh Eustis, spoke about her beloved family member, saying, “She was just so young and she still had so much to live for. She had a very loving boyfriend, and she was so in love with him. 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.” A GoFundMe has been made in Gillis’ name to help the family with funeral costs.
