Shootings of people who mistakenly go to the wrong house test the limits of stand your ground laws
By JOHN SEEWER
Associated Press
The fatal shooting of a house cleaner who Indiana authorities say mistakenly went to the wrong address feels hauntingly familiar.
It’s a tragic ending that has played out before across a nation where stand-your-ground laws have become increasingly common and there’s a perception that crime in cities is a significant problem.
Here are some high profile examples of such shootings:
House cleaner shot in Indianapolis suburb
A homeowner fired a gun without a warning through his front door on Nov. 5 after hearing someone trying to unlock it, killing Maria Florinda Rios Perez De Velasquez, a house cleaner who went to the wrong address, according to court documents and police.
Curt Andersen, of Whitestown, Indiana, was charged with voluntary manslaughter in a case that could test the limits of stand-your-ground laws. His defense attorney maintains that Andersen had every reason to believe his actions were justified under the law.
College student killed near campus
A University of South Carolina student was shot and killed in 2023 when he was mistaken for a burglar while trying to enter the wrong home on a street where he lived near campus.
Authorities decided not to charge the homeowner after finding that 20-year-old student Nicholas Anthony Donofrio had banged on the front door, broke its window and was trying to open a handle.
Honor student wounded after ringing wrong doorbell
Ralph Yarl, a Black honor student in Kansas City, Missouri, showed up on the doorstep of Andrew Lester, an 86-year-old white man, after mixing up where he was supposed to pick up his twin siblings in 2023.
Lester, whose attorney argued that he was terrified by the stranger at his door, shot the teen in the head and arm. Yarl survived the shooting, and Lester pleaded guilty nearly two years later to second-degree assault. Lester died just days after pleading guilty.
Woman dies after boyfriend pulls into wrong driveway
A 20-year-old woman was with friends who mistakenly turned into a backcountry driveway in upstate New York when she was shot and killed by the homeowner who fired a shotgun from his porch in 2023.
A year later, a jury convicted 66-year-old Kevin Monahan of second-degree murder in the death of Kaylin Gillis. Monahan said he believed his house was under siege by intruders and intended to fire a warning shot.
Woman seeking help shot through screen door
Renisha McBride, a Black woman who was looking for help after a car accident and knocking on doors in a Detroit suburb in 2013, died after a white resident fired through his screen door.
Ted Wafer, who was convicted in the shooting, said he was awakened by pounding and feared for his life.
Trayvon Martin shooting raises debate over law
Stand your ground laws gained national attention following the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a Black 17-year-old who was visiting his father’s home in a gated Florida community.
George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman who thought Martin looked suspicious, was acquitted after a trial in which his attorneys essentially used the law as a defense.
