by Milwaukee, WI – A 32-year-old woman is facing serious charges after allegedly shooting and killing her friend while under the influence of marijuana, claiming she grew “paranoid” and thought her friend planned to stab her, according to police.
Woman Fatally Shoots Friend After Paranoid Delusion, Police Say
Authorities identified the suspect as Jamica Mills, who was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon modifier in the death of 26-year-old Ariel Spillner, a pharmacy student at Concordia University.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, officers with the Milwaukee Police Department responded around 9:43 p.m. on Nov. 4 to an apartment complex on the 5100 block of 39th Street following reports of a shooting.
Inside the lower-level unit, police found both women — Mills and Spillner — injured. Mills was lying on her back, suffering from a gunshot wound to her abdomen, while Spillner was found face down on a sectional couch, unresponsive.
Emergency responders pronounced Spillner dead at 9:52 p.m., noting a gunshot wound to her left shoulder, the affidavit stated.
“The Defendant was combative on scene and continued to be combative and uncooperative with hospital staff after she was transported to Froedtert Hospital,” police said in the report.
Gun, Casings, and Close-Range Evidence Recovered
Investigators recovered a .38-caliber Ruger handgun and two spent shell casings near Mills’ body. A t-shirt with a bullet hole — burnt and blackened around the edges — suggested the shot to Mills was fired at close range.
A witness in the apartment told detectives she was in a bedroom with Mills’ child when she heard someone say, “b—, you tripping,” followed by two gunshots.
Mills Claimed Memory Loss, Then Admitted Shooting
While being interviewed at the hospital, Mills initially claimed she “could not remember what happened” and woke up later in the living room before being taken to the hospital.
However, when detectives pressed further, she allegedly admitted to shooting her friend. Mills claimed she believed Spillner was going to stab her after becoming paranoid from smoking marijuana.
“She thought Spillner shot her first,” the complaint stated. “She said they were hanging out and talking about Spillner’s boyfriend when she heard a shot and felt shot.”
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Later, Mills told investigators that after firing the gun, she accidentally shot herself in the stomach while heading toward the front door, adding that she didn’t know how it happened.
“She stated she did not mean to kill Spillner,” police wrote. “But she understood firearms can kill people.”
Victim Remembered
An autopsy revealed that Spillner’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the upper-left chest area.
A GoFundMe has since been launched to help Spillner’s family cover funeral costs and honor her memory.
Meanwhile, a Milwaukee County judge ordered Mills held on a $150,000 bond. She is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 17.
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