Categories: U.S.

Upstate New York homeowner convicted after fatally shooting woman who turned up wrong driveway

close Video

Kaylin Gillis’ father speaks out after driveway shooting death

The father of Kaylin Gillis, a young New York woman allegedly shot to death after turning into the wrong driveway on Saturday, said he hopes the suspect "dies in jail."

Join Fox News for access to this content Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account! Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

An upstate New York homeowner is facing a possible life sentence after he fatally shot a young woman who drove up the wrong driveway with her friends while on their way to a party last April.

After less than an hour of deliberation, a Washington County jury found Kevin Monahan, 66, guilty of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence for the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis.

“Obviously it’s a just result, but a very sad time for the family,” attorney Donald Boyajian, who is representing the Gillis family, said after the jury handed down its verdict Tuesday. “It doesn’t change what is going to be forever, which is the loss of their beautiful daughter.”

Monahan is scheduled to be sentenced in March and faces 25 years to life for the second-degree murder charge.

BOYFRIEND OF WOMAN KILLED AFTER TURNING INTO WRONG DRIVEWAY DESCRIBES ‘FRANTIC’ MOMENT HOMEOWNER SHOT HER

Kaylin Gillis was in a car that turned down the wrong driveway in upstate New York in April 2023 when the homeowner allegedly opened fire. The former high school cheerleader from nearby Schuylerville died of a gunshot wound. (Kaylin Gillis, Schuylerville Varsity Cheerleading/Facebook)

Gillis, her boyfriend and their friends were driving to what they thought was the correct address for a party in upstate New York near the Vermont border, but they eventually lost the signal for their GPS and daylight, and turned up the wrong driveway. The group pulled up to the Hebron home in two cars and a motorcycle. 

When they approached Monahan’s property, the 66-year-old shot at the vehicle Gillis and her friends were in twice, hitting Gillis in the neck. After hearing the shots ring out, Gillis’ friends noticed that she was slumped over and not responding in the back seat, according to witness testimony.

NEW YORK WOMAN SHOT, KILLED BY HOMEOWNER AFTER CAR SHE WAS IN PULLED INTO WRONG DRIVEWAY

A New York jury found Kevin Monahan, 66, guilty of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence for the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Kailyn Gillis. (Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP, Pool)

Gillis’ 20-year-old boyfriend, Blake Walsh, described the moment as “frantic.” 

“People were screaming,” he testified last week.

KAYLIN GILLIS DRIVEWAY SHOOTING DEATH: FATHER SAYS HE HOPES SUSPECT ‘DIES IN JAIL’

Andrew Gillis, right, is consoled after the verdict in his daughter’s murder case. Donald Boyajian, who is representing the Gillis family, said the jury’s verdict was “just” but “doesn’t change what is going to be forever, which is the loss of” the Gillis family’s “beautiful daughter.” (Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP)

Monahan has maintained that the shooting was a “terrible accident” due to a misfired gun and that he was scared when he heard the group of people coming up his driveway late at night. The first shot, he said, was supposed to act as a warning, while the second was a misfire after he tripped on an object in the dark.

“When you’re by yourself, you have to figure out the worst-case scenario,” Monahan said on the stand last week, as the Times Union of Albany reported. “My only job is to protect my wife.”

KAYLIN GILLIS DRIVEWAY SHOOTING DEATH: BOYFRIEND DETAILS WRONG TURN IN NEW YORK WOODS, IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH

Kevin Monahan has maintained that the fatal shooting of Kaylin Gillis was a “terrible accident” due to a misfired gun. (Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP, Pool)

Monahan added that the shooting has left “a hole” in him.

“It’s indescribable,” he testified. “I don’t even know how to respond. I just feel like my soul is dead.”

The group of friends were only able to call for help when they got cell service back several miles down the road after turning around. One of Gillis’ friends who testified last week said he held his hand to her neck after the shooting in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

A police evidence photo showing the entry point of the shot that fatally struck Kaylin Gillis last April after she and friends accidentally pulled into Kevin Monahan’s driveway, is displayed during summations in Monahan’s murder trial, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, at Washington County Courthouse in Fort Edward, New York.  (Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The defense noted that the group did not see private property signs leading up to Monahan’s property. Some of them had been either drinking or smoking marijuana before they began driving to the party, according to testimony.

Gillis has been described as a driven young woman with a love for animals and dreams of becoming a veterinarian one day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.

Share

Recent Posts

New England serial killer fears: 10 bodies now found in less than 2 months

close Video Paul Mauro weighs in on New England serial killer theory Fox News contributor…

55 minutes ago

Trump admin releases shockingly low number of illegal aliens compared to Biden years: ‘Unprecedented’

President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan touted how the administration has released a shockingly…

1 hour ago

Trump backs local police in new executive order, rebukes Democrat crime policies that sowed ‘chaos’ across US

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order backing local police departments with…

1 hour ago

Dem border rep brags about voting against Laken Riley Act

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., touted his vote against the Laken Riley Act and bashed President…

1 hour ago

GOP races against clock as Senate, House remain trillions of dollars apart on Trump’s tax bill

House Republicans are rushing to get started on a multitrillion-dollar bill to advance President Donald…

1 hour ago

US strikes kill hundreds of Houthi fighters, hit over 800 Red Sea targets: Central Command

The U.S. military has pummeled over 800 targets since mid-March in a campaign aimed at…

1 hour ago