Latest news with #JohnJ.Reilly
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Newsweek
Who Is John J. Reilly? NY Town Official Held in Shooting of DoorDash Driver
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A town official in New York state has been arrested, charged with shooting a DoorDash driver who approached his home after getting lost during an order delivery, authorities said. John J. Reilly, highway superintendent for Chester in Orange County, was charged Saturday with first-degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm. Chester is in New York's Hudson Valley, about 65 miles north of New York City. Why It Matters While gun violence against delivery drivers is relatively rare in America, there were more than 48,000 firearm-related deaths in the United States in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That means roughly 132 people died from firearm-related injuries each day. Violence against delivery drivers could make gig economy jobs seen as more dangerous, exerting pressure on companies to bolster protections for drivers. In this photo illustration, the DoorDash logo is displayed on a smartphone screen, with a stock market chart shown in the background, on May 4 in Chongqing, China. In this photo illustration, the DoorDash logo is displayed on a smartphone screen, with a stock market chart shown in the background, on May 4 in Chongqing, To Know The DoorDash driver, 24, whose name has not been released and is also a college student, had been attempting to deliver food in Reilly's Valerie Drive neighborhood on Friday when he got lost and could no longer use the app for navigation, according to New York State Police, adding that the driver also approached other houses in search of directions before going to Reilly's home. After Reilly told the driver to get off his property, state police say, the suspect fired multiple shots as the driver attempted to leave. The DoorDash worker was shot in the back and faces serious injuries. He had at least one surgery after being transported to Garnet Health in Wallkill, according to Mid Hudson News. Newsweek reached out to the town of Chester and DoorDash for comment via email on Tuesday. Reilly, 48, a federally licensed firearms dealer, is being detained in the Orange County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bond, reported Mid Hudson News. A preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. Friday in the Town of Chester Court. Local station News12 reported that the victim had moved to New York six months ago from West Africa and had worked for DoorDash for a month. He was also studying English at SUNY Orange Community College in Middletown. What People Are Saying New York State Police, per the Associated Press: "Reilly told the victim to get off his property, before firing multiple shots at the victim as he attempted to leave in his vehicle, striking the victim once in the back, causing serious physical injuries." Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge said in a statement posted on Facebook: "We are deeply troubled by what has been reported so far. We hope the person who was injured in the incident makes a full and healthy recovery. The Town of Chester is not taking any position on any investigation or legal proceeding... As an elected official, the Town Board does not have control over Mr. Reilly's future as Highway Superintendent." A spokesperson for DoorDash told Newsweek: "No one should ever fear for their safety just for trying to make deliveries in their neighborhood. We're devastated by this senseless act of violence, and we're wishing the Dasher a full and speedy recovery. We'll continue to work closely with law enforcement as they investigate this tragic incident." What Happens Next Reilly's preliminary hearing is set for Friday. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation will be probing the shooting alongside the Orange County District Attorney's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
New York Times
05-05-2025
- New York Times
Official Shot DoorDash Driver Who Asked for Directions, Police Say
A town official in Chester, N.Y., opened fire on a food delivery driver who had come to his home to ask for directions, shooting him in the back, the authorities said. The official, John J. Reilly, has been charged with felony assault, Orange County prosecutors said. Mr. Reilly, 48, is the highway superintendent for the town of Chester, roughly 50 miles north of New York City. He is also a federally licensed firearms dealer, the police said. According to the police, a DoorDash driver got lost while trying to deliver food to a home on Valerie Drive on Friday night. Struggling to navigate with his phone, the driver began going to different homes on the block to ask for help. When he reached Mr. Reilly's home, he was told to leave the property. But when he attempted to leave in his vehicle, Mr. Reilly fired several times at him, striking him once in the back and causing 'serious physical injuries,' according to the police. The driver, whose name has not been released by the authorities, required emergency surgery. His injuries are 'serious, but not at this time expected to be fatal,' according to a spokesman for the Orange County district attorney's office. 'We're devastated by this senseless act of violence, and we're wishing the Dasher a full and speedy recovery,' a DoorDash spokesman said in a statement. 'We'll continue to work closely with law enforcement as they investigate this tragic incident.' The shooting carried echoes of an incident in 2023, in the town of Hebron, N.Y., north of Albany, when a man opened fire on a car that had mistakenly entered his driveway. A 20-year-old woman sitting in the passenger seat was killed. She and her friends had been trying to find a friend's home in the area. The shooter in that case, a 66-year-old man, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison last year. 'I think it's important that people know that it is not OK to shoot people and kill them who drive down your driveway,' the judge said during the man's sentencing. In 2023, a Black teenager in Kansas City was shot twice by a homeowner after knocking on the wrong door while trying to pick up his siblings. The shooter, Andrew Lester, an 86-year-old white man, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a second-degree assault charge, but died just a few days later, before he was sentenced. Mr. Reilly is white; little information about the person he shot has been released. In a statement on Monday, the Chester town supervisor, Brandon Holridge, said the investigation into Mr. Reilly would be handled solely by the State Police, with no involvement from the Chester police, given that Mr. Reilly is a town official. 'We are deeply troubled by what has been reported so far,' Mr. Holridge said in a statement. 'We hope the person who was injured in the incident makes a full and healthy recovery.' Mr. Reilly has been the town's highway superintendent since 2021. He was re-elected in 2023 and is in the middle of a four-year term. He was arrested on Saturday and has been charged with assault in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a firearm. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday morning in the Town of Chester Court.
