A 32-year-old Milwaukee woman has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide after allegedly shooting and killing her friend during what prosecutors say was a paranoid episode brought on by marijuana use.
According to a criminal complaint filed on November 8, Jamica Simone Mills shot 26-year-old Ariel Spillner inside her Milwaukee home on November 4 before accidentally shooting herself in the abdomen. Prosecutors said Mills became paranoid after she and Spillner smoked marijuana together that evening.
Mills told investigators that Spillner, whom she described as a friend, had come over to help trim her dog’s hair with scissors. The situation reportedly took a dark turn when Mills became anxious and retrieved a handgun from her bedroom.
According to the complaint, she told police that she shot Spillner after the victim made a “hand motion” that startled her. Mills admitted Spillner had not threatened her, she did not “observe” any scissors, and she did not intend to kill her.
Mills then accidentally shot herself, suffering non-life-threatening injuries. When first responders arrived, she was reportedly naked, combative, and displaying erratic behavior. Paramedics and hospital staff struggled to restrain her as they treated her injuries.
Police initially received a different version of events from Mills, who at first denied being the shooter before later changing her account. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released the official autopsy results for Spillner.
The tragic death has left Spillner’s family, classmates, and community reeling. Online tributes described her as “a light to everyone who knew her” and remembered her as an accomplished college basketball player at Clarke University in Iowa before pursuing her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon.
Concordia University issued a statement expressing grief and solidarity with Spillner’s loved ones. “Our hearts and prayers are with Ariel’s family, friends, classmates, and all who knew and loved her,” the statement read. “We take comfort in the promise of Christ’s presence and pray for God’s peace to surround all who mourn Ariel’s passing.”
A fundraiser for Spillner’s family has raised nearly $12,500 as of November 10. At her initial court appearance, Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Katharine Kucharski set Mills’ bail at $150,000. Mills remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court again for a preliminary hearing on November 17 at 1:30 p.m.
If convicted, Mills faces decades in prison for the fatal shooting that prosecutors say stemmed from a tragic and paranoid reaction to marijuana use.