No verdict after first day of jury deliberations in DoorDash shooting involving Chester Highway Superintendent

After its first day of deliberations following a week-long trial in which Chester Highway Superintendent John Reilly was accused of unlawfully shooting DoorDash driver Alpha Oumar Barry outside his Valerie Drive home last May, an Orange County jury did not render a verdict Tuesday.

Reilly, a Chester native, faces 14 counts including attempted murder, multiple counts of assault and criminal possession of a weapon and related weapons charges.

At issue in this case is how the legal definition of justification pertains to four of the charges Reilly faces. To that end, a note submitted at 3:28 p.m. Tuesday to Judge Craig Brown from the jury foreperson requested further clarification on justification.

“Can we please receive the elements for each charge in writing or in turn name the first charge and elements read to us in addition to the reexplanation of justification either written or told to us,” the note said.

The legal standard of justification is a defense claiming an actor’s otherwise criminal conduct was necessary, right and not wrong under the circumstances (such as self-defense). It requires a reasonable belief that action was immediately necessary to prevent a greater harm, with force that is proportional to the threat.

Justification is key to Reilly’s defense. Reilly’s attorney, Thomas Kenniff, said he was pleased members of the jury were taking their responsibilities seriously.

“I think what it shows is that the jury is conscientious instead of being blinded by a 30 or 40 second video clip,” Kenniff said after Judge Brown dismissed jurors for the day. “The evidence of justification in this case is compelling and we think the jury is willing to follow evidence of the law. The length [of time today] that they’ve been out, I think, is an indication that is exactly what they are doing. The fact the jury seems to be examining all the evidence and focusing on the legal standards, including the standard of justification, is a positive. We believe if the jury follows the law it will lead to an acquittal for Mr. Reilly.”

Senior Assistant Orange County District Attorney Nicholas Mangold said he could not comment on the trial.

Jurors are due to reconvene at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday

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 the 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.