Greenlawn man indicted in shooting that left mother paralyzed
A Greenlawn man was indicted after prosecutors said he shot the mother of his children at close range, leaving her paralyzed and fleeing into a New Rochelle Field Day.
Eric Whilby, 37, of Greenlawn, was indicted on second-degree attempted murder and related charges after prosecutors charged him with shooting the mother of his children at close range on Leigh Street, leaving her paralyzed and setting off a chase that ended on the grounds of a New Rochelle elementary school during Field Day.
Whilby and the 40-year-old victim were living together with their two children, ages 9 and 11, along with the victim’s mother, brother and sister. Just before 1 a.m. on June 4, the woman came home after work and Whilby was angry that she had not come straight home; as she drove toward a nearby park to meet her sister, he ran up to her vehicle and fired through the window at close range. The bullet entered her left shoulder and traveled into her spinal cord, causing life-altering injuries.
The victim’s sister was on the phone with her when she heard the scream and the gunshot, and the sister and a nearby friend saw Whilby drive away in a white Honda CR-V. The shooting happened at 12:52 a.m. on Leigh Street in Greenlawn, and the victim was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries after a domestic-related incident.
Whilby fled Suffolk County and was later spotted by New York State Police in Westchester County. He was arrested around 8:40 a.m. on Pelham Road in New Rochelle with help from New York State Police Troop T and the New Rochelle Police Department. Police recovered the gun in a wooded area near Trinity Elementary School after the foot pursuit, and no students, staff or families were injured; Field Day resumed once the situation was cleared.
Raymond A. Tierney: “This is a sobering incident of alleged domestic violence, and my office will handle it with the seriousness that it deserves.” Whilby was arraigned July 13 and is due back in court Aug. 5. If convicted on the top count, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
In Suffolk County, 911 received 27,000 domestic-violence reports in 2024 and more than 280,000 over the past decade. A family offense petition can be filed when allegations include harassment, stalking, assault or coercion, and a judge can issue a temporary order of protection the same day if there is good cause. 24-hour help is available at 800-799-7233, 631-666-8833 for L.I. Against Domestic Violence, 631-329-2200 for The Retreat and 631-395-1800 for Brighter Tomorrows.
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