'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
When Lauren Kanarek was shot back-to-back on her chest in August 2019, it was not among those cases of jealousy and betrayal. The accused, Michael Barisone, her Olympic equestrian coach, was allegedly pushed to the boundary to commit what he did.
Kanarek survived the bullets, but what followed after was a shocking trial. Barisone was acquitted on grounds of insanity. CBS' true-crime series, 48 Hours, is all set to report the story of Lauren Kanarek and Michael Barisone, on September 17 at 10/9c.
Keep reading to know more about the shooting of Lauren Kanarek
1) Lauren Kanarek was not happy with Michael Barisone's training
In what is believed could have triggered Barisone to shoot her, was that Kanarek, who was his horse-riding student, was not really content with the way Barisone was training her. She wanted him to invest more time in her. She was also not very happy about the fact that sometimes Barisone's colleagues trained her instead of him. Thus, Kanarek wanted his undivided attention.
2) Lauren Kanarek tried to defame Michael Barisone on social media
When Kanarek failed to get Barisone to train her the way she wanted to be trained, she started used social media platforms to defame him. Not only did she use harsh adjectives against him, but she also made sure that they were hurtful enough to a large extent, using words like "racist", "homophobic," and "antisemitic" against the ex-Olympian.
In another post, just a month before she was shot, Kanarek had said:
"It's about time to possibly go to war. Anyone who repeatedly kicks a resting beast will eventually wake her up!"
3) Michael Barisone tried to inform the police that his life was in danger
In the days ahead of the shooting, Barisone called 911 to complain about the accusations and the allegations hurled against him on social media. He even reportedly asked for their assistance, as he was in "fear for his life". However, the cops did not pay heed to the complaints and thought it was not a serious dispute.
4) Lauren Kanarek's boyfriend broke his arm while trying to wrestle Michael Barisone
On August 7, Barisone took his gun and drove to the farmhouse where Lauren Kanarek and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, were living. It is, however, not clear what happened after that. But around 2 PM, Kanarek managed to make a call at 911 while bleeding profusely from her wounds. She was shot twice in the chest. When the police arrived, they saw her lying in a critical condition and her boyfriend with a broken hand as a result of an altercation with Michael.
5) The former Olympian was acquitted in a shocking verdict
Barisone was jailed for two years, after which his trial finally began. During her testimony, Lauren Kanarek was asked if she wanted to destroy him, and her answer was affirmative.
The defense team was quick to come up with a reason at the court that may have driven Barisone to shoot her. They claimed that with her social media posts targeting Michael Barisone, Lauren had pushed him to the point where he lost his "mental sanity".
Dr. Steven Simring told Battiste in his interview with 48 Hours:
"She drove him crazy. She gaslighted him and she drove him over the edge,"
There were counter arguments for this claim by other doctors. They asked how was it possible that Michael Barisone, claimed that he did not remember taking out a gun and shooting his student Kanarek but remembered entering his office and was only able to recall a part of all the events that happened that day.
Four days later, the jury declared their verdict, stating, "Michael is not guilty by reason of insanity". To know more about the chiling details of this case, don't forget to tune into CBS' 48 Hours, on September 17 at 10/9c.
