Kaylin Gillis, 20, and her friends were looking for a party in rural Washington County when she was shot by a homeowner. Her friends tried calling 911 but couldn’t immediately find a cell signal. They drove about five miles down the road to the next town before connecting with emergency services. Gillis died of her wounds.
Unfortunately, this is all too common in many rural upstate counties. Further exacerbating this tragedy, just days before the shooting, Hudson Valley state Sen. Michelle Hinchey had introduced "the Cellular Mapping Act of 2023." The bill would require the Public Service Commission to study cell coverage in New York and create a map indicating where there are "dead zones."
Hinchey, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, discussed the bill with Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter.