New York passenger shot, killed after car pulls into wrong driveway

HEBRON, NY - A woman looking for a friend's house in upstate New York was fatally shot after the car she was riding in mistakenly went to the wrong address and was met with gunfire in the driveway, authorities said.

According to authorities, Kaylin Gillis, 20, was traveling through the rural town of Hebron, about four hours north of New York City, with three other people Saturday around 10 p.m. when the group made a wrong turn onto the property.

Kaylin Gillis.

They were trying to turn the car around when the homeowner, Kevin Monahan, 65, came out onto his porch and fired two shots, according to Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy.

Kevin Monahan.

One round hit Gillis.

The group drove to the neighboring town of Salem, northeast of Albany near the Vermont state line, and called 911, said Murphy, who noted the shooting took place in an area with limited cell phone service. 

Emergency crews arrived and performed CPR on Gillis, but couldn't save her.

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 on a charge of second-degree murder. It wasn't clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Murphy said at a news conference Monday that Gillis, who lived in Schuylerville, "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 Associated Press wire services helped contribute to this report.