The Assault on Lauren Kanarek: Who Tried to Kill Her?

After receiving a call of shots fired one afternoon in August 2019, authorities rushed to a farm in Washington Township, New Jersey, in response to a report of a shooting. There, they find Lauren Kanarek in serious condition, as well as the person responsible for what happened to her. The episode of “48 Hours” on CBS News titled “The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek” details the legal ramifications of the incident as well as the causes that led to the shooting. Then, let’s investigate this further, shall we?

What Happened to Lauren Kanarek?

Lauren Kanarek is an accomplished equestrian who has been recognized for her accomplishments by both the United States Equestrian Federation and the United States Dressage Federation with medals. He was fond of ice skating and music as a child, and once even entertained the idea of ​​becoming a lawyer. But in the end, Lauren decided that becoming a dressage instructor was the path that most interested her. She was preparing for the event at a horse farm in Washington Township, where she also lived with her boyfriend, Robert Goodwin, in the days before the tragedy.

Lauren called 911 at approximately 2:15 pm on August 7, 2019, and reported that she had been shot twice in the chest. The authorities responded to his report. The assailant was armed with a 9mm caliber revolver, and when the police arrived at the scene, they found Robert struggling with the assailant. After being taken to the hospital, Lauren needed immediate surgical intervention to stabilize and begin the healing process. After that, authorities began their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Lauren’s shooting death.

Who Made the Attempt on Lauren Kanarek’s Life?

The investigation uncovered the fact that Lauren Kanarek began training at the horse farm in March 2018 under the tutelage of Michael Barisone, a well-known dressage coach who is also a former Olympic equestrian. In the past, he also coached several athletes who competed in the Olympics. At the time, Lauren was paying Robert a monthly rent of $5,000 to ride her horses, train them, and allow her to live on the farm with her. However, in the summer of 2019, things took a decidedly unfavorable turn.

According to the testimony, Lauren was not satisfied with the training; he wanted Michael to teach him, instead of one of his assistants. As a direct result of this, Lauren, who is too devoted to social media, begins to publish several complaints online. One of them had the following message written: “It’s probably going to be a war soon. Anyone who continuously kicks a sleeping animal will, at some point, cause the animal to wake up! He went so far as to accuse Michael of being “racist, homophobic, and antisemitic,” all of which he vehemently denied. He even went so far as to accuse her of being “antisemitic.”

Michael asserted that a verbal agreement between the three parties to vacate the premises after training was broken by the couple. On the other hand, according to Lauren, Michael attempted to evict them after he and his girlfriend were forced to move into a barn on the property due to flooding. She said that Michael has shown interest in moving into the same house that Lauren and Robert live in. In the days leading up to the shooting, authorities were called to the location several times due to Lauren’s frequent social media posts, and eventually responded to the scene of the shooting.

Michael had previously reported to authorities that Lauren and Robert had been squatting on his property, calling them harassers who refused to leave. He also said that they refused to leave. Afterwards, Lauren took to social media to say that she was a victim of bullying and that the situation scared her. In addition, she and Robert are said to have called child protective services, who then showed up at the farm to investigate allegations that Michael had abused the children he was sharing with his partner. After further investigation, however, she was cleared of any misconduct by a social worker.

Michael drove up to where Lauren and Robert were staying on August 7th, 2019, and he brought a gun. After Michael was identified as the shooter, Lauren later revealed that Michael also tried to shoot Robert but failed to hit him. After that, Robert was able to control Michael until the police arrived. In Michael’s trial, which took place in early 2022, Lauren’s online posts were a contentious issue. Mary Haskins Gray, who was his partner at the time, told the court that Lauren had made threats online.

Lauren admitted that some of her posts could be interpreted as threats, but she said she was not aware of this possibility at the time she wrote them. Later, Michael said he reported his concerns about his safety to the authorities, but they did not take his claims seriously. In the end, her lawyers tried to build an insanity defense by having specialists testify that Lauren’s insults on social media had pushed her beyond the point of no return. Michael was found not guilty of attempting to kill Lauren and Robert in April 2022, and was subsequently ordered to attend mental health therapy after being found not guilty. He said he had no recollection of the shooting.

A decline in status or favor

Michael Barisone, one of the best dressage riders in the United States, competed for Team USA at the Olympic Dressage Competition in Beijing in 2008. He went on to have a successful career as a trainer, where he trained several Olympians including also the top-level cyclists.

But starting in the summer of 2019, her life began to spin out of control as her relationship with Kanarek ended as a result of conflicts over their arrangement.

Lauren Kanarek targets Michael Barisone on Facebook

On Facebook, Lauren Kanarek began to vent her anger and aggravation regarding Barisone.
Michael Barisone seems to be very affected by Lauren Kanarek’s social media statements as the situation on the farm continues to deteriorate, as he has the impression that his reputation and profession are at stake. Barisone vehemently denied her accusations against him.
Kanarek and Barisone both reported having the experience of being in danger.
According to Barisone and those who support him, his mental health is 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 the two and demanded to know why they were there.

A struggle ensued

Rob Goodwin said he was successful in bringing down Michael Barisone with a tackle.
Lauren Kanarek dialed 911 despite the fact that she was badly hurt and struggling to breathe. This photo was taken at the hospital shortly after the shooting, and shows Goodwin sitting on top of Barisone, who appears to have suffered extensive injuries as a result of the beating.

Lauren Kanarek is fighting for her life

Because Lauren Kanarek’s bleeding could not be stopped, she had to be rushed to the hospital for immediate surgery. According to Kanarek, seen here at the hospital on a ventilator, he was in a coma for four days and remained in the intensive care unit for three weeks.

According to Barisone, the only thing he remembers is waking up in handcuffs

Michael Barisone said he doesn’t remember getting a gun or shooting Lauren Kanarek. He also claims he doesn’t remember being shot. He says the only thing he remembers is waking up in a hospital with one arm tied to a bed and handcuffed.

The day after the shooting, Barisone was taken into custody and charged with two counts of attempted murder.

Barisone’s equestrian career has a long list of achievements to its credit

Barisone is the owner of the facility known as Barisone Dressage, where Kanarek was shot.
Dressage was the discipline in which Barisone competed at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, and she performed it on horseback (her team did not medal). Now a renowned teacher for other top-tier equestrians, he conducts his lessons at his own facilities in both New Jersey and Florida.

According to information provided in his official biography, Barisone was a member of the team that competed in the 1997 Nations Cup and won the gold medal in Hickstead. Additionally, Barisone reportedly trained nine different horses to success in over one hundred CDI Grand Prix competitions. In addition to that, he was awarded 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 2016 Olympics in Rio.