A Connecticut woman has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a man while he was watching Toy Story with a child, according to state police.
Troopers responded Monday evening to a home in Killingly following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found a man with a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim, identified as 39-year-old Andrew Michael Olson of Canterbury, was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
A 12-year-old boy reportedly told investigators that he and Olson were watching Toy Story when 65-year-old Michelle Yeagher entered the room and opened fire. Authorities detained Yeagher inside the home shortly afterward.
Yeagher now faces multiple charges, including murder, carrying a firearm while under the influence, risk of injury to a child, and first-degree reckless endangerment. She is being held on a $1 million bond.
According to the arrest report cited by local outlets, troopers found Yeagher in bed appearing highly intoxicated. When questioned about what happened, she allegedly said, “He tried to kill me… I shot him. He came after me, I shot him.”
Yeagher was also taken to a hospital. There, she allegedly told investigators she had been upset earlier in the day and began drinking that night. She said Olson and the child came over before she went to sleep — and that she later woke up frightened, retrieved her gun from a safe, and then recalled seeing someone on the floor.
Authorities have not yet clarified the relationship between Yeagher, Olson, and the child.
A GoFundMe page created to help with Olson’s funeral costs described him as “a kind, generous man, and a loving father, son, brother, and friend” with a “heart of gold.” The organizer added, “He was the type of person who would give you the shirt off his back without a second thought… his absence has left an emptiness that can never be filled.”
It remains unclear whether Yeagher has an attorney to speak on her behalf. She is scheduled to appear in court on December 11.
