Jamica Mills, Milwaukee Woman, Charged in Fatal Shooting of Pharmacy Student Ariel Spillner After Alleged Paranoid Episode

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A 32-year-old Milwaukee woman has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of her friend, a pharmacy student at Concordia University, after allegedly becoming paranoid while the two were smoking marijuana together, according to a criminal complaint.

Jamica Mills faces charges of first-degree reckless homicide and use of a dangerous weapon in the November 4 shooting that claimed the life of 26-year-old Ariel Spillner, a DeForest, Wisconsin native.

The shooting occurred at a residence near North 39th Street and West Lancaster Avenue, an area reportedly known for frequent drug activity and violence. Responding officers found both women with gunshot wounds — Spillner deceased at the scene and Mills conscious but injured.

According to investigators, Mills told police that she and Spillner were smoking marijuana when she began feeling paranoid and believed Spillner might attack her with scissors that were intended for grooming her dog.

Mills said she retrieved a firearm from her bedroom and, upon returning, panicked when Spillner made a hand movement she perceived as threatening. She then allegedly fired her weapon, striking Spillner. Mills told police she accidentally shot herself in the stomach afterward.

Authorities recovered a Ruger LCP .380-caliber handgun and two spent shell casings from the scene.

Mills initially told officers she could not recall what had happened but later admitted that she and Spillner had both become anxious after smoking. She also acknowledged that Spillner never made any verbal threats against her.

Spillner, who was completing her final year of pharmacy school at Concordia University Wisconsin, was described by family members as “kind-hearted, ambitious, and selfless.”

“She was literally the best person you could ask for — as a friend, sister, aunt, or daughter,” her sister Courtney Spillner told WWNY. “The last thing we said to each other was that we loved each other. I’m forever holding that memory close.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to cover funeral expenses. The family said any remaining funds will go toward a charity in Ariel’s honor.

Mills remains in custody on a $150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on November 17.

Spillner’s family has publicly stated they oppose any plea agreement for Mills and are calling for “full justice” in the case.