Arraignment Revelations: Town Official Accused Of Shooting DoorDasher

TOWN OF CHESTER, NY — New details emerged at the arraignment of a town official accused of shooting a DoorDash driver.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 48-year-old John Reilly III, of Chester, was arraigned on Monday in Orange County Court. The indictment charged him with two felony counts of first-degree assault, felony second-degree attempted murder, felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, felony second-degree assault, and eight felony counts of criminal possession of a firearm.

SEE ALSO:

• Town Official Indicted For Shooting DoorDash Driver In Back: DA
• Town Official Arrested For Shooting DoorDash Driver In Back: NYSP

According to court documents, in the evening of May 2, an unarmed DoorDash driver who was lost and whose phone battery had died walked up to Reilly's home in the Town of Chester with a bag of food, asking if Reilly had placed the order.

Reilly then ordered the man to leave and when the driver tried to leave in his vehicle, Reilly came out of his home with a shoulder holster and armed with a .45 caliber Glock pistol, police say. He racked the gun and discharged a round into the front lawn, according to cops.

Reilly shot at the vehicle, and immediately aimed the gun at the car and fired again, according to investigators. A round pierced the vehicle and struck the victim in the lower back, causing "devastating" injuries.

The .45 caliber projectile was recovered from the victim's abdomen during emergency surgery, which resulted in the removal of over two feet of the victim's small bowel.

A judicially authorized search warrant executed at Reilly's home resulted in the recovery of .45 caliber casings in the kitchen and front lawn, the projectile from the front lawn, the shoulder holster and loaded .45 caliber Glock pistol, and seven other illegally possessed pistols from the home.

Law enforcement discovered that while Reilly held a Federal Firearms License (FFL) in order to sell firearms, he had no state firearms license or pistol permit, and could not lawfully possess those guns in New York.

Hoovler thanked the New York State Police for their investigation which led to the arrest of Reilly. He also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who assisted in the investigation.

"The unprovoked violence alleged in this case is truly horrifying," Hoovler said. "There is a reason that, as law enforcement in Orange County, we have such a particular focus on the illegal use of firearms. This case stands as yet another reminder of the awful consequences of these weapons, particularly when wielded in the manner allegedly seen in this case. As a community, we will not stand idly by and allow for the victimization of the voiceless at the hands of the emboldened."