Accused killer in deadly home invasion fled to Florida after shooting, records show
Accused shooter Shannon Gilday fled to Florida late last month after the death of 32-year-old Jordan Morgan, a lawyer and the daughter of former state politician C. Wesley Morgan, according to court documents recently reviewed by the Herald-Leader.
After his arrest, the 23-year-old northern Kentucky man confirmed with investigators he went to Florida after the deadly shooting, according to court records.
Madison County Sheriff Mike Coyle said at a Madison County Fiscal Court meeting Tuesday that Gilday was on his way back to the Morgan family’s home when he was apprehended Feb. 28, the Richmond Register reported.
He said Gilday “came back to carry out his means — that he wanted to get back at that location,” according to the newspaper.
Gilday also admitted he went to C. Wesley Morgan’s residence in Madison County repeatedly before allegedly committing the violent home invasion, according to court records.
“Gilday stated he made several trips ... to the property at 1266 Willis Branch Road, days prior leading up to the incident,” an investigator wrote in court records.
A search warrant obtained by the Herald-Leader previously indicated that Gilday had notes about the Morgans’ property, including the family’s sleep schedules, potential access points to the home and more. He also had notes about the family’s fully-stocked bunker underneath their residence.
State police searched for Gilday for nearly a week after the deadly home invasion on Feb. 22. Emergency services received a 911 call from the Morgans’ home in the early-morning hours on that date after Gilday allegedly broke into the home and shot Jordan Morgan multiple times. Gilday then got into a shootout with C. Wesley Morgan before he fled from the house, according to court records.
Morgan was injured and had to be taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, according to court records.
Gilday told investigators that after committing the crimes, he took off in his 2016 Toyota Corolla and drove all the way to Florida, according to court records. The same Corolla was spotted on surveillance footage at the Morgans’ home, according to court records. While in Florida, Gilday illegally obtained a Georgia license plate and placed it on his car, investigators said in court documents.
Gilday then attempted to drive back to Kentucky but his car broke down somewhere north of Atlanta, according to court records. Gilday abandoned the vehicle in Georgia on the side of I-75. It’s unclear how Gilday got back to Kentucky, but a sheriff’s deputy found him walking along a road in Madison County on Feb. 28, according to court records.
Gilday has been charged with murder, assault, attempted murder and other offenses in relation to the deadly home invasion. He was publicly identified as the suspect on Feb. 24.
After interviewing Gilday, investigators alerted Georgia State Patrol about Gilday’s car, according to court documents. State patrol impounded the car and stored it at a secure facility. A detective with Kentucky State Police picked it up and brought it back to a state police impound lot on March 3.
Gilday’s mom previously spoke about the case, saying her son had been speaking about building a bunker, nuclear war and the CIA following him.
“My son Shannon Gilday, who I love so dearly, has not been of sound mind the last couple of weeks, distraught with the certainty a nuclear war is imminent. He spoke of building a bunker and the CIA following him. I tried to get him psychiatric help but to no avail,” she said.
Gilday entered a not guilty plea set by a judge during an arraignment on March 2. He’s due back in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 3:47 PM.
