Michelle Yeagher (Connecticut State Police).
In Connecticut, a woman has been incarcerated after allegedly shooting a man dead during a viewing of a beloved Pixar movie with a child, as reported by state authorities.
Michelle Yeagher, 65, faces charges including murder, possessing a firearm while intoxicated, causing risk of injury to a minor, and first-degree reckless endangerment, as per the Connecticut State Police.
The tragic events unfolded late Monday night at a residence on Pratt Road within the Dayville area of Killingly, a quaint town situated approximately 50 miles east of Hartford.
Earlier that evening, Andrew Michael Olson, 39, was enjoying a screening of “Toy Story” alongside a 12-year-old child, whose identity remains confidential, according to legal documents reviewed by NBC affiliate WVIT based in New Britain. Before the night was over, Olson would tragically lose his life.
At 9:31 p.m., authorities discovered Olson with a gunshot wound to his chest. The attending child recounted that the shooting occurred as they were watching the movie, when Yeagher entered the room and opened fire, as stated by officials.
Olson was promptly transported to Day Kimball Hospital, where he ultimately died from his injuries, according to police reports.
Meanwhile, troopers found Yeagher in bed and asked her about the location of the gun used to shoot Olson, according to prosecutors. The defendant allegedly appeared to be highly intoxicated and said she was not sure where the gun had been placed, law enforcement claim.
During an initial interview after being detained, Yeagher allegedly tried to justify the shooting, according to investigators.
“He tried to kill me,” the defendant allegedly told police on the night in question. “I shot him. He came after me, I shot him.”
The woman allegedly went on to say she was in the bedroom when Olson came after her – describing some difficulty unlocking her gun safe before firing her weapon, police say.
Yeagher allegedly told investigators that Olson and the child came over earlier that night and then she went to bed.
That explanation, of course, did not align with what the 12-year-old told investigators. Then, the defendant”s story allegedly changed.
Yeagher was subsequently handcuffed and taken out of the residence on a stretcher around 11:30 p.m., according to a report by Hartford-based CBS affiliate WFSB.
The defendant was interviewed again the next morning.
On Tuesday, she allegedly told investigators she was upset from dealing with various issues throughout the day and started drinking that night. Later, Yeagher allegedly said she woke up terrified and retrieved her gun but did not remember anything until she heard Olson in a state of distress. Next, the defendant allegedly said she saw an injured person lying on the ground, according to law enforcement.
Yeagher is currently being detained in the Connecticut State Department of Correction on $1 million bond, records show.
She is next slated to appear in court on Dec. 11.
