Young woman shot dead after her car pulled into wrong driveway

A man has been charged with murder after killing a young woman when her car pulled into the wrong driveway – just days after a similar incident saw a teenager shot after ringing the wrong doorbell.

Kaylin Gillis' friends have started a GoFundMe page for her family.

Kaylin Gillis, 20, died after being hit by a bullet when a vehicle she was travelling in with friends pulled up outside the home of Kevin Monahan, 65, in Hebron, New York State.

Sheriff Jeffrey J Murphy said the group of friends had accidentally driven to Mr Monahan’s house on Saturday night while looking for a property where another friend lived. They had realised their error and were turning around when Mr Monahan stepped out of his house and fired two shots at their car. None of the occupants of the car had got out.

This comes after an 84-year-old man has been charged following a weekend of protests over the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who went to the wrong address to pick up his twin brothers last Thursday.

Black teenager Mr Yarl mixed up the address, going to a house on Northeast 115 Street, instead of Northeast 115th Terrace – a short distance away. When he rang the doorbell, he was shot twice by Andrew D. Lester, who was taken into custody by the police for 24 hours, then released without charges on Friday. Over the weekend, protesters called for Mr Lester to be charged.

Police said on Monday he had been charged with assault in the first degree, a class-A felony, and could face life in prison if convicted. They added they believed there was a “racial element” to the case. Mr Yarl, who was left in a critical condition with a gunshot wound in his head, was released from hospital on Sunday. Prosecutors have insisted Mr Yarl did not “cross the threshold” into the man’s home, while the shots were fired through a glass door by a handgun.

In New York State, the area where Ms Gillis’ shooting took place was described by police as very rural and a place where mobile phone signal was patchy. The group drove Ms Gillis six miles before they could call the emergency services, who tried to save her, but were unable to do so.

Mr Murphy said: “She was an innocent young girl who was out with friends looking for another friend’s house. Unfortunately, they drove up this driveway.”

He said he knew Ms Gillis’ family personally. The woman lived in Schuylerville, around 20 miles from where the incident took place.

Kurt Mausert, a lawyer for Mr Monahan, said his client owned a contracting business, had lived in Washington County for 30 years and had no previous convictions.

“My preliminary view of this case is that it was a series of errors which resulted in a tragedy,” Mr Mausert said. “It is too soon to say more than that.”

However, Mr Murphy said when officers arrived at the house, Monahan was uncommunicative and would not come out. He was taken into custody after about an hour.

Her friends have raised more than $40,000 (£32,000) through a GoFundMe page for Ms Gillis’ family.