Reilly removed as Chester’s head of highway after conviction in DoorDash shooting

John Reilly, now the Town of Chester’s former highway superintendent, was found guilty of assault causing injury through risk of death (depraved indifference) by a jury in county court last week for his actions that led to the May 2, 2025, shooting of lost DoorDash driver Alpha Oumar Barry on Reilly’s Valerie Drive property.

In addition to being found guilty of the above assault charge, which carries up to 25 years in prison, Reilly was found guilty of criminal possession of a weapon: loaded firearm, assault recklessly causing serious injury with a weapon and nine counts of criminal possession of a firearm.

Reilly, a Chester native, was remanded without bail after the March 26 verdict.

Reillys’ attorney, Thomas Kenniff, said he expects the other convictions to run concurrently with the depraved indifference assault conviction. Senior Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Mangold, however, would not comment on the matter.

Sentencing is set for Monday, May 18.

Reilly was found not guilty of assault with intention to cause serious injury with a weapon, which meant the attempted murder charge he was facing was no longer on the table.

Reilly removed from office

Town of Chester Supervisor Brandon Holdridge said Reilly was removed from his position as highway superintendent upon being found guilty on Thursday, March 26.

“Per New York State law, Mr. Reilly is vacated from his office as soon as he is convicted,” Holdridge said hours after Reilly was found guilty. We directed the town clerk to put out a notice for intertest in the highway superintendent position. We will give people two or three weeks to get back to us and then we will interview every person who submitted a letter and choose from that pool the person we think is the best fit for the interim position. Whoever we appoint will serve until the end of the term, which is the end of 2027.”

The interim highway superintendent, along with anyone else who wishes, will be able to seek election for the full-time position, which would start in January of 2028 following a November 2027 election.

Shooting victim ‘relieved’

Though Barry’s family declined to comment as they left the courthouse following the verdict, attorney Rudyard Whyte this week said Barry – who, like Reilly, testified during the trial – is relieved at the outcome.

“He will never make a full recovery because he lost 26 inches of intestines and went through several surgeries,” said Whyte, who is representing Barry in a civil action against Reilly and the Town of Chester. “He was relieved and thankful that the jury believed him and is grateful that justice was done. The district attorney’s office stood behind him and did not favor Mr. Reilly due to his position. He takes no pleasure in anyone being convicted or incarcerated, but Mr. Reilly has to suffer the consequences of his actions.”

Depraved indifference

“This defendant’s depraved indifference to human life was appalling and nearly resulted in the death of an innocent man,” said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler in statement released moments after the verdict was delivered. “We can see firsthand the consequences of the use of dangerous firearms by an individual who had no business possessing a gun. I commend the dedication of the police and prosecutors assigned to the case whose thorough efforts resulted in this just outcome. I hope that the victim can continue to heal from the grievous wounds caused by this defendant’s crimes.”

Hoovler commended Mangold and Assistant District Attorney Emily Worden who prosecuted the case.

Defense to appeal

Thomas Kenniff, Reilly’s attorney, said they will appeal the decision following sentencing by Judge Craig Brown.

“I don’t think there is any question we had a conscientious jury and Judge Craig Brown gave a fair shake at every juncture both to ourselves and the state,” Kenniff said moments after the verdict. “I compliment the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, particularly the assistant district attorneys that handled this case. Everyone was a true professional. We are disappointed with the outcome. We are disappointed with the inclusion of the depraved indifference charge. We do not think it should have been in the indictment to begin with, we don’t think it should have been presented to the grand jury last year and we don’t think it should have been allowed to go to the jury in this trial. That is a legal issue preserved for appeal and we intend on pursuing. We respect the fact that the jury has spoken but we feel very strongly that at least that charge will be up to some intense appellate scrutiny.”

Background

In initial trial proceedings during the week of Monday, March 16, defense attorney Kenniff said Reilly was home with his wife and 12-year-old daughter on the evening of May 2, 2025, when his daughter told him a stranger was at the door. Kenniff said that individual – Barry, then 24, of Conakry, Guinea – was at the front door asking to come inside the Valerie Drive home. Reilly, Kenniff said, felt Barry, who spoke little English and could not communicate well, posed a threat to him and his family.

Prosecutor Mangold said Barry, who had recently arrived legally in the U.S., became lost in Reilly’s Chester neighborhood and was only at Reilly’s front door holding a bag of food to ask for help charging his phone, not asking to come inside Reilly’s home.

After a conversation at the front door in which the defense says Reilly repeatedly told Barry to leave, Reilly got a gun, went outside and fired two shots into his front yard as Barry was back in his car. The defense said Reilly continued to be concerned about Barry’s intentions when Barry did not leave after two warning shots and additional commands to leave. The third shot went through the trunk of Barry’s car, through the driver’s seat and hit Barry through his back, causing severe injuries to Barry’s stomach and abdomen.

The defense contends Reilly never meant to cause harm to Barry.

While agreeing that the first shot was a warning shot, prosecutors said Reilly purposely shot Barry through the back as he was trying to leave.

“Bullets go where guns are pointed,” Mangold said during closing arguments on Monday, March 23.