PROVIDENCE – A Glocester man pleaded nolo contendere on Thursday to one count of manslaughter in Providence Superior Court in the 2021 shooting death of 25-year-old Taylor Peterson.
Ryan Gallagher, 30, entered the plea at a hearing before Superior Court Justice Richard Raspallo and was remanded to the Adult Correctional Institutions.
According to a release on the case from the attorney general’s office, on June 12, 2021, Gallagher brought a 9mm handgun into the bathroom where his girlfriend Peterson was folding laundry. The defendant discharged the gun, striking Peterson, who succumbed to the injuries she sustained from the gunshot. Gallagher then called 911 to report an accidental shooting.
On December 9, 2022, the Providence County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging him with second-degree murder following an 18-month investigation. The charge was subsequently amended to manslaughter.
“Whether willful or not, gun violence destroys lives,” said Attorney Peter General Neronha. “Taylor Peterson’s life was tragically cut short because of an unsecured firearm, and cases like these demonstrate why commonsense gun laws, like our recently passed safe storage legislation, are so important to public safety. Additionally, I would like to thank the Glocester Police Department for their assistance in delivering justice in this case.”
Sentencing will occur at a later date and Gallagher faces up 30 years in prison — the maximum penalty for manslaughter under Rhode Island law. A status conference is set for September 5, in Newport County Superior Court.
“Cases like these are difficult for all involved, and I am thankful for today’s resolution of this very unfortunate matter,” said Glocester Police Chief Joseph DelPrete. “I would like to thank the Attorney General’s Office for the successful prosecution of this defendant, and it is my hope that this incident will help prevent future tragedies.”
Stephen Dambruch, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant Attorney General Mark Benjamin of the Office of the Attorney General and Investigator Matthew Floor and Sergeant Daniel Lefebvre of the Glocester Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case, with support from the Rhode Island State Police.
