After receiving a call that a gun had been shot one afternoon in August 2019, authorities rushed to a farm in Washington Township, New Jersey, in response to reports of the shooting. There they found Lauren Kanarek in serious condition, as well as the one responsible for what happened to her. The episode of “48 Hours” on CBS News entitled “The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek” details the legal ramifications of the incident as well as the causes that led to the shooting. Should we investigate this further, right?
What happened to Lauren Kanarek?
Lauren Kanarek is an experienced rider who has received medals for her achievements from both the United States Equestrian Federation and the United States Dressage Federation. When she was younger, she liked ice skating and music, and at one point she even had the idea of becoming a lawyer. But in the end, Lauren decided that becoming a dressage teacher was what interested her the most. She prepared for the event at a horse farm in Washington Township, where she also lived with her fiancé, Robert Goodwin, in the days leading up to the tragedy.
Lauren called 911 at approximately 2:15 p.m. on August 7, 2019 and reported that she had been shot twice in the chest. Authorities responded to her report. The perpetrator was armed with a 9mm revolver and when police arrived at the scene they found Robert grappling with the perpetrator. Upon admission to the hospital, Lauren required immediate surgery to be stabilized and begin healing. After that, authorities began investigating the circumstances of Lauren’s shooting.
Who tried to take Lauren Kanarek’s life?
The investigation revealed that Lauren Kanarek had started training at the horse farm in March 2018 under the tutelage of Michael Barisone, a renowned dressage trainer who was also a past Olympic rider. In the past he had also coached a number of athletes who competed in the Olympics. At the time, Lauren was paying Robert a monthly rent of $5,000 to mount her horses, train them, and allow her to live with him on the farm. By the summer of 2019, however, things had taken a decidedly unfavorable turn.
According to witnesses, Lauren was dissatisfied with the training; She wanted Michael to teach her and not one of his assistants. As a direct result, Lauren, who is very active on social media, began posting a series of complaints online. One of them had the following message written on it: “It’s almost time, maybe go to war. Anyone who constantly kicks a sleeping animal will eventually wake the animal up! She went so far as to accuse Michael of being “racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic,” all of which he vehemently denied. She even went so far as to accuse him of being “anti-Semitic.”
Michael claimed that a verbal agreement between the three parties to vacate the premises once the training session was over was broken by the couple. On the other hand, according to Lauren, Michael tried to evict her after he and his fiancé were forced to move into a barn on the property because of the flooding. She claimed Michael had expressed an interest in moving into the same house that Lauren and Robert lived in. In the days leading up to the shooting, authorities were called to the location several times due to Lauren’s constant postings on social media, and they eventually responded to the shooting location.
Michael had previously reported to authorities that Lauren and Robert were squatting on his property, labeling them harassers who refused to leave. He also claimed that they refused to leave. Lauren then claimed on social media that she was a victim of bullying and was scared of the situation. She and Robert also reportedly called child protection services, who then showed up at the farm to investigate allegations that Michael had abused the children he shares with his partner. However, after further investigation, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by a social worker.
Michael drove all the way down to where Lauren and Robert were staying on August 7, 2019, and he brought a gun. After Lauren determined that Michael was the shooter, Lauren later stated that Michael also tried to shoot Robert but failed to hit him. After that, Robert managed to get Michael under control until the police arrived. At Michael’s trial, which took place in early 2022, Lauren’s online posts were a contentious issue. Mary Haskins Gray, his partner at the time, told the court that Lauren made threats online.
While Lauren has acknowledged that some of her posts could be interpreted as threats, she claimed that she wasn’t aware of the possibility at the time she wrote them. Michael later said that he reported his concerns about his safety to the authorities, but they did not take his statements seriously. In the end, his lawyers tried to build a defense based on insanity by having specialists testify that Lauren’s insults on social media had pushed him past the point of no return. Michael was found not guilty to an attempt to murder Lauren and Robert in April 2022 and was subsequently ordered to attend psychiatric therapy after being found not guilty. He said he had no memory of the shooting.
A decline in status or favor
Michael Barisone, one of the most successful dressage riders in the United States, competed for Team USA at the 2008 Olympic Dressage Competition in Beijing. He pursued a successful career as a coach, during which he also coached several Olympian cyclists to the highest level.
But as of the summer of 2019, his life spiraled out of control when his relationship with Kanarek came to an end due to conflicts over the agreement they had.
Lauren Kanarek targets Michael Barisone on Facebook
Lauren Kanarek vented her anger and anger at Barisone on Facebook.
Michael Barisone appeared to be deeply affected by Lauren Kanarek’s comments on social media as the situation at the farm continued to deteriorate, as he felt his reputation and profession were being jeopardized. Barisone vehemently denied her allegations against her.
Kanarek and Barisone both reported that they were in danger.
According to Barisone and those who support him, his mental health was deteriorating.
The weapon used
Michael Barisone took a 9mm Ruger revolver from a safe in his office on the afternoon of August 7, 2019, and then drove to the farmhouse on the property where Lauren Kanarek and Rob Goodwin lived. He confronted them both and wanted to know why they were there.
A fight ensues
Rob Goodwin claimed he managed to bring Michael Barisone down with a tackle.
Lauren Kanarek dialed 911 despite being badly injured and unable to breathe. This picture was taken at the hospital shortly after the shooting and shows Goodwin sitting on Barisone, who appeared to have suffered serious injuries from the beating.
Lauren Kanarek is fighting for her life
Because Lauren Kanarek was bleeding uncontrollably, she had to be taken to the hospital for emergency surgery. According to Kanarek, who is seen here in the hospital on a ventilator, she was in a coma for four days and remained in intensive care for three weeks.
According to Barisone, all he remembers is waking up in handcuffs
Michael Barisone claims he has no memory of getting the gun or shooting Lauren Kanarek. He also claims he has no memory of being shot. He claims the only thing he remembers is waking up in a hospital with one of his arms handcuffed to the bed.
The next day after the shooting, Barisone was taken into custody and charged with two counts of attempted murder.
Barisone’s equestrian career can look back on a long list of successes
Barisone is the owner of the facility known as Barisone Dressage where Kanarek was shot.
Dressage was the discipline that Barisone competed in at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and she performed it on horseback (his team did not win a medal). Today he is a well-known teacher to other frontrunners and teaches at his own facilities in New Jersey and Florida.
According to his official biography, Barisone was a member of the team that took part in the 1997 Nations Cup and won the gold medal at Hickstead. In addition, Barisone has reportedly trained nine different horses to win over a hundred CDI Grand Prix competitions. In addition, he received the Sportsman International Horseman of the Year award in 2009. He has also coached younger Olympians such as Alison Brock who was part of the United States team that won bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics.