Michael Barisone, found not guilty by reason of insanity for 2019 shooting, vows sports 'comeback' in New Yorker intervi
Topic: defense & securityRegion: north americaUpdated: i1 outletsSources: 1Spectrum: Right Only⏱ 4 min read
Casualties — Confirmed Figures
(Source reports Kanarek was shot in the chest and Goodwin was shot at and missed; no deaths reported in source (per nypost.com).)Lauren Kanarek(Shot in the chest by Michael Barisone (per nypost.com))
Robert Goodwin(Shot at by Michael Barisone; missed (per nypost.com))
Story Summary
SITUATION
Michael Barisone was found not guilty by reason of insanity for shooting equestrian Lauren Kanarek and was released from psychiatric state custody; he now tells the New Yorker he is preparing what he called “the biggest comeback story in the history of sports” (per nypost.com). The New York Post emphasizes his permanent ban from equestrian events, his victim‑blaming language calling his victims the “scum of the earth,” and the criminal exposure he once faced (per nypost.com).
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KEY FACTS
- A jury found Michael Barisone not guilty by reason of insanity in April 2022 after he faced up to 60 years in prison for the attempted murders of Kanarek and her fiancé, Robert Goodwin (per nypost.com)
- Barisone was released from psychiatric state custody in November 2023 (per nypost.com)
- Barisone told the New Yorker he is preparing “the biggest comeback story in the history of sports” and described his victims as the “scum of the earth” (per nypost.com)
- Barisone is permanently banned from equestrian events for shooting Lauren Kanarek (per nypost.com)
- Barisone was a member of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games squad (per nypost.com)
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The immediate backdrop is the broader security crisis that has dominated U.S. attention since March 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iranian nuclear-related infrastructure, power plants and air defenses; those strikes have been followed by a continuing cycle of Iranian military responses and international diplomatic fallout.
Domestically, that international crisis has coincided with heightened scrutiny of legal and mental-health systems in the United States that process violent offenders who are found to be criminally insane.
Brief
Michael Barisone — a one‑time U.S. Olympian — told the New Yorker he is preparing “the biggest comeback story in the history of sports” after a court found him not guilty by reason of insanity for a shooting that wounded equestrian Lauren Kanarek.
The New York Post reports that Barisone shot Kanarek in the chest at his Morris County farm in August 2019, and that he had faced up to 60 years in prison before a jury returned the insanity verdict in April 2022; the outlet adds he was released from psychiatric state custody in November 2023.
The Post also reports Barisone was a member of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games squad and is now permanently banned from equestrian events for the shooting. In its coverage, the Post highlights Barisone’s interview language — including his characterization of his victims as the “scum of the earth” — framing his remarks as sensational given the criminal history and the ongoing ban.
The central documented facts are narrow: the shooting of Kanarek, the insanity verdict, the subsequent institutional release, the permanent sport ban, and Barisone’s public statement about a comeback; the Post’s account links those facts to a narrative of outrage and public safety concern.
The New Yorker interview is the source of Barisone’s comeback claim and quoted language; the Post emphasizes the legal and disciplinary outcomes and the victims’ identities.
For readers, the immediate questions are legal and regulatory: whether the permanent ban on equestrian competition will be enforced across governing bodies beyond those cited by the Post, and whether any civil or supervisory measures remain pending after Barisone’s release.
The reporting here is confined to the New York Post’s account; no other outlets in this packet confirm or contest the Post’s framing, the quote from the New Yorker, or the timeline of release and bans.
Why it matters
- Victims bear concrete costs: Lauren Kanarek (wounded in the chest) and Robert Goodwin (shot at) suffered direct physical harm and ongoing repercussions from an attacker who later won an insanity verdict and was released from psychiatric custody (per nypost.com).
- Sporting institutions face reputational and regulatory costs: Barisone’s permanent ban from equestrian events signals disciplinary action but raises questions about enforcement by national and international federations (per nypost.com).
- Public safety and legal accountability are at stake: the combination of an insanity verdict, institutional release in November 2023, and Barisone’s public assertion of a comeback creates a policy tension between mental‑health discharge decisions and ongoing protections for victims (per nypost.com).
What to watch next
- Whether national or international equestrian governing bodies formally enforce or extend Barisone’s permanent ban by the end of the current competition calendar year (per nypost.com).
- Whether any civil suits or supervisory conditions linked to the August 2019 shooting remain active or are filed after Barisone’s New Yorker interview (per nypost.com).
- Whether the New Yorker publishes the full interview text or clarifying material that confirms the quotes reported by the New York Post and details Barisone’s plans (per nypost.com).
Where sources differ
7 dimensionsFraming differences
?- Only the New York Post is in this source pack; it frames Barisone’s New Yorker remarks as sensational and emphasizes his permanent ban and victim‑blaming language (per nypost.com).
Disputed or unclear
?- No other outlet in this packet disputes the Post’s timeline, quotes, or legal findings; absence of corroboration leaves some claims, including the exact wording and context of the New Yorker interview, unverified beyond the Post (per nypost.com).
Omitted context
?- No source here provides independent confirmation of the New Yorker quotes beyond the Post’s reporting.
- No source in this pack mentions whether any civil litigation remains pending against Barisone.
- No source in this pack provides details on which specific equestrian bodies issued and will enforce the permanent ban.
Conflicting figures
?- The Post reports Barisone faced up to 60 years in prison for the attempted murders (per nypost.com).
Disputed causality
?- Sources do not dispute sequence: August 2019 shooting → April 2022 not‑guilty‑by‑reason‑of‑insanity verdict → November 2023 release from psychiatric custody → New Yorker interview; only the Post outlines that chain (per nypost.com).
Attribution disputes
?- The New Yorker is the source of Barisone’s quoted ambition; the New York Post attributes those quotes to the New Yorker (per nypost.com).
Sources
1 of 1 linked articles