Chester Highway Superintendent faces up to 25 years in prison after being found guilty in DoorDash shooting trial

An Orange County jury on Thursday, March 26, found Chester Highway Superintendent John Reilly guilty of assault causing injury through risk of death (depraved indifference), a class B felony in the May 2, 2025, shooting of DoorDash driver Alpha Oumar Barry.

Reilly, a Chester native, faces up to 25 years in prison.

In addition to being found guilty of the above assault charge, Reilly was found guilty of criminal possession of a weapon: loaded firearm (second degree, C felony), assault recklessly causing serious injury with weapon (D felony) and eight counts of criminal possession of a firearm (E felonies). Reilly was found not guilty of assault with intention to cause serious injury with a weapon (B felony).

Reilly was remanded without bail.

Sentencing will occur on Monday, May 18.

Barry’s family declined to comment leaving the courthouse.

“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 M. Hoovler in statement released 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. I will reiterate that as a community, we will not stand idly by and allow for the victimization of the voiceless at the hands of the emboldened.”

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

Reilly’s attorney, Thomas Kenniff said they would appeal the decision.

Background

In initial trial proceedings last week, defense attorney Thomas 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 Nicholas 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 says that 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 in the 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 Monday’s closing arguments.

This story will be updated.