Milwaukee, WI – A 32-year-old woman in Wisconsin has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide after allegedly shooting and killing her 26-year-old friend during a paranoid episode she claims was triggered by smoking marijuana. Authorities say the accused, Jamica Mills, told investigators she believed her friend, Ariel Spillner, was going to stab her before pulling the trigger.
The Shooting Incident
According to a criminal complaint, Milwaukee Police Department officers responded to a reported shooting around 9:43 p.m. on November 4, 2024, at an apartment complex in the 5100 block of 39th Street. Inside the lower-level apartment, officers found two women—Mills and Spillner—both suffering from gunshot wounds.
Spillner, a pharmacy student at Concordia University, was found face down on a couch with a gunshot wound to her left shoulder and was pronounced dead at 9:52 p.m. Mills was conscious but had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her abdomen. Police noted she was combative and uncooperative with officers and hospital staff while being treated at Froedtert Hospital.
Authorities recovered a .38-caliber Ruger handgun and two spent shell casings near Mills’ body. A t-shirt with a burned bullet hole consistent with a close-range gunshot was also found at the scene.
Eyewitness Account and Police Findings
A witness in the apartment at the time of the shooting told investigators she was in a bedroom with Mills’s child when she heard someone yell, “B—, you tripping,” followed by two gunshots. Police later confirmed the shots came from Mills’s firearm.
When questioned in the hospital, Mills initially claimed she could not remember what happened, stating that she “woke up in the living room” and next found herself in the hospital. However, when detectives pressed further and showed her the shirt with the bullet hole, Mills allegedly changed her story.
She admitted to police that she and Spillner had been smoking marijuana together and that both became paranoid. According to the affidavit, Mills stated that she thought Spillner might stab her because Spillner had a pair of scissors she was planning to use to groom Mills’s dog. Acting on that fear, Mills said she retrieved her gun from the bedroom and returned to the living room, where she shot Spillner once in the chest.
The Confession and Self-Inflicted Injury
Mills told investigators that after shooting her friend, she began walking toward the front door but then accidentally shot herself in the stomach. She said she didn’t know how the gun discharged but admitted that she understood firearms “can kill people.”
Despite claiming that she did not mean to kill Spillner, Mills confessed to pulling the trigger. Investigators said that no scissors were found near the victim, and there was no indication that Spillner had made any threats or aggressive movements toward Mills before the shooting.
The Legal Proceedings
A Milwaukee County judge has ordered Mills to be held on a $150,000 bond, according to court records. She faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon modifier and is due to appear for her preliminary hearing on November 17, 2024.
If convicted, Mills could face a decades-long prison sentence. The case remains under investigation as authorities await further forensic evidence and toxicology reports.
Remembering the Victim
Family and friends of Ariel Spillner have described her as a compassionate young woman dedicated to her pharmacy studies and helping others. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist with funeral costs and honor her memory.
Public Response and Broader Implications
The tragedy has sparked discussions about mental health awareness, substance-induced paranoia, and firearm safety. Experts have emphasized that while marijuana rarely triggers violent behavior, it can cause severe paranoia or hallucinations in some individuals, especially when combined with stress or underlying mental health conditions.
What are your thoughts on this tragic case and the role of paranoia in violent crime? Share your opinions in the comments below.
