In a tragic turn of events on the afternoon of May 9, 2025, Kelly Ann Kilburg, a 46-year-old Caucasian female, was fatally shot in Carnation, Washington. The incident unfolded at a residence on Lake Langlois Road NE, where she was shot multiple times. A distressing 911 call made shortly before 2 p.m. captured the sounds of an argument and gunfire, with the caller claiming to have someone at gunpoint.
When King County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered Kilburg with gunshot wounds to her abdomen and arm. She was quickly transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, but tragically succumbed to her injuries around 3:40 p.m. The medical examiner later confirmed that her death was a homicide resulting from multiple gunshot wounds.
The man who made the 911 call, identified as 42-year-old Mitchell Brian Gaynor, was immediately arrested at the scene. Gaynor was Kilburg's boyfriend. According to court documents, Gaynor was suffering from a delusion at the time of the incident, believing that Kilburg was his ex-girlfriend who had impersonated her through plastic surgery. During the 911 call, Kilburg could be heard trying to convince Gaynor of her true identity, even telling him to ask her any question to prove it. Investigators at the scene noted that Gaynor appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance. A search of the residence uncovered multiple firearms, drug paraphernalia, and a crystalline substance that resembled methamphetamine.
In the days following the fatal shooting, prosecutors charged Mitchell Brian Gaynor with first-degree murder. He entered a plea of not guilty on May 28, with a trial date set for July 14. Prosecutors made a request to increase his bail to $5 million, citing a previous domestic violence arrest in 2023 involving his ex-girlfriend. In that prior incident, Gaynor was required to surrender his firearms as part of a protection order. However, the protection order expired in October 2024, and he was able to legally retrieve his weapons. Tragically, one of the firearms that had been temporarily confiscated was the same weapon used in the killing of Kelly Kilburg.
