"Just Shot My Girlfriend 17 Times": US Man Confesses To Police
A Pennsylvania man has confessed to police that he shot his teenage girlfriend 17 times at her home. Darion Abel, 27, is accused of opening fire at close range on 19-year-old Miranda Grimm-Gilarski until the gun was empty.
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The couple's one-year relationship was marked by mutual physical violence before the tragic incident
Washington:
A 27-year-old man from Pennsylvania has admitted to authorities that he fatally shot his 19-year-old girlfriend multiple times at her residence. Darion Abel stands accused of firing 17 shots at close range at Miranda Grimm-Gilarski until no ammunition remained in his weapon.
CBS News reports that court testimony revealed Abel, who was 20 years old when the incident occurred, directly told a police officer, "I just shot my girlfriend 17 times."
During proceedings in a Pittsburgh court, jurors heard that Abel "opened fire on [the victim] at close range and did not stop shooting until the gun was empty."
The deadly shooting took place on November 17, 2018, after Abel forcibly entered Grimm-Gilarski's home by kicking down her front door before opening fire in the living room area.
Testimony from Codie Garth, the victim's stepbrother, indicated he was upstairs in a bedroom when he heard Grimm-Gilarski exclaim, "No, Darion!" followed by 17 gunshots fired within approximately 10 to 15 seconds.
Grimm-Gilarski suffered numerous gunshot wounds, including injuries to her eye and torso, with reports indicating Abel continued shooting even after she had collapsed to the floor.
Following the shooting, Abel drove himself to the Munhall Police Department and approached Officer Jason Poniewaz, where he confessed to the killing.
According to CBS News, he also informed the officer that the weapon used in the crime was located on the front seat of his vehicle.
Prosecutors stated on Monday that most facts in the case aren't contested. The central question for jurors is whether Abel acted with the specific intent necessary for a first-degree murder conviction.
Defense attorneys have requested that jurors consider a "guilty but mentally ill" verdict, while prosecutors are pushing for full accountability, as reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Abel faces charges of homicide, burglary, and carrying an unlicensed 9 mm pistol in connection with the incident and has been held without bail for nearly seven years. The trial, initially scheduled for 2019, has been delayed multiple times.
According to The New York Post, throughout their volatile one-year relationship, both Abel and Grimm-Gilarski had repeatedly physically assaulted each other, with the most recent incident occurring on October 30, 2018.
Judge Thomas Flaherty presides over the case. The trial will continue Tuesday morning, with jurors expected to hear additional witness testimony plus ballistics and video evidence.