MILWAUKEE, WI – What began as a quiet night inside a Milwaukee apartment ended in tragedy when a 32-year-old woman allegedly gunned down her friend in a haze of panic and confusion, according to police.
Authorities say Jamica Mills has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide and using a dangerous weapon after the fatal shooting of Ariel Spillner, a 26-year-old pharmacy student at Concordia University. The events unfolded just after 9:40 p.m. on November 4, inside a residence near the 5100 block of North 39th Street.
Responding to a 911 call, officers entered the lower-level apartment and found two women—one alive, one not. Mills lay wounded on her back with a bullet wound in her stomach. Nearby, Spillner was discovered face down on a couch, showing no signs of life. Paramedics quickly pronounced Spillner dead. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the upper-left chest.
Investigators at the scene recovered a .38-caliber Ruger handgun and two spent casings close to where Mills and Spillner were found. They also noted a t-shirt with a newly burned bullet hole in the front—evidence of a shot fired at extremely close range.
Witnesses in the apartment recalled hearing heated words and then two sudden gunshots. One individual, present with a child in a nearby bedroom, overheard someone exclaim, “b—, you tripping,” seconds before the violence erupted.
During questioning in the hospital, Mills first claimed amnesia, insisting she had no recollection of the shooting or how she ended up with a bullet wound. She did, however, identify Spillner as a long-time friend and described memories of spending the evening together.
As the interview continued and police presented evidence from the apartment, Mills’ narrative shifted. She eventually confessed that she and Spillner had used marijuana that night, which left both women feeling unusually paranoid. According to Mills, the paranoia intensified when she recalled that Spillner was supposed to use scissors on her dog. Afraid for her own safety, Mills retrieved a gun from her bedroom. She told detectives she pulled the trigger when she thought Spillner made a suspicious move, but admitted she never saw scissors or received any threats.
Mills also admitted that while attempting to leave, she accidentally shot herself in the abdomen. She maintained that murder was not her intent, but acknowledged her understanding of the lethal consequences of gunfire.
Spillner’s shocking death has left loved ones mourning the loss of a promising student whose future was abruptly cut short. Friends and family have organized community support in her memory.
Court records show Mills remains in custody on a $150,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on November 17 as the case continues to unfold.