More than three years after Erik Allison was shot in the throat by a woman prosecutors claimed was a jealous roommate, he still carries approximately 100 shotgun pellets in his body.
“It is still very painful,” Allison said Friday during a sentencing hearing for Leah H. Gillis, who fired a round from a century-old shotgun that struck him on Aug. 2, 2022. “I am truly blessed to be here. The only fear I have in my life now is that I can be taken from my family.”
Following a two-day trial in November, a Westmoreland County jury convicted Gillis, 36, of North Versailles, of attempted murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Prosecutors contended Gillis and Allison were platonic roommates sharing a Penn Township home at the time of the shooting.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Mears sentenced Gillis to serve 8 to 16 years in prison. Prosecutors had requested a sentence of 10 to 20 years.
“It’s a miracle he didn’t die. I don’t think Ms. Gillis is a terrible person, and there is no reason she can’t have a successful life. But this was a terrible decision,” Mears said.
Gillis, prosecutors argued, sought a more intimate relationship with Allison and became enraged after learning he had started dating another woman. Following a bonfire outside their home, Gillis went inside, retrieved an old shotgun and fired through a glass window, striking Allison in the throat.
The shooting occurred two days after Gillis threatened to kill Allison and just moments after he disclosed a sexual relationship with a coworker to whom he is now engaged, according to evidence presented at trial.
Gillis did not testify during her trial, where her lawyer argued the shooting was an accident caused by a malfunctioning gun. In court on Friday, however, Gillis conceded that alcohol played a role in her actions.
“I am deeply remorseful. I did not intend this and it was not jealousy. My past drinking caused me to make a lot of bad decisions,” Gillis said as she fought back tears. “My daughters desperately need me in their lives and I ask you to take mercy on me. I will never drink again.”
Defense attorney Brian Aston argued that Gillis has already shown she can rehabilitate herself. While free on bail for two years prior to her trial, Gillis refrained from drinking, held a job and remained crime-free, Aston said.
“Her life with alcohol is total chaos. I don’t think she understood that until this incident,” Aston told the judge.