NEED TO KNOW
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A 26-year-old pharmacy student, Ariel Spillner, was allegedly shot and killed by a friend who became paranoid after smoking marijuana, according to local police
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Spillner’s family mourned her death online as “an unimaginable loss”
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Jamica Simone Mills, 32, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide and with the use of a dangerous weapon, according to records reviewed by PEOPLE
The family of a slain Wisconsin pharmacy student is mourning her death after police allege her friend shot and killed her after smoking marijuana and becoming paranoid.
Ariel Spillner was allegedly shot and killed on Nov. 4 by her friend Jamica Simone Mills, who was later charged with first-degree reckless homicide, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WMTV and Fox 6 Milwaukee, citing a criminal complaint.
Mills, who was 31 at the time of the shooting, was also charged with a felony for the use of a dangerous weapon, according to Milwaukee County Jail records reviewed by PEOPLE.
Spillner’s family wrote in a GoFundMe set up to help pay for funeral costs that the Concordia University pharmacy student’s death was “an unimaginable loss.”
“Ariel was a light to everyone who knew her – she had the most giving soul with the biggest heart,” the Spillner family wrote. “She loved deeply: her family, her friends, her dogs, and the simple joys of life. Ariel was an outstanding athlete, a loyal friend, and someone who always looked for ways to help others. Her compassion and energy touched everyone she met. She had such a bright future, and it is heartbreaking that it was ripped away from her and us.”
Ariel Spillner/Facebook
Ariel Spillner
Citing court documents, WMTV and the Journal Sentinel reported that first responders found Mills lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to her abdomen around 9:40 p.m. on Nov. 4. Meanwhile, Spillner, 26, was found unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Milwaukee County Jail
Jamica Simone Mills
Mills allegedly told police that she and Spillner had been friends for a year, according to the outlets. Spillner was allegedly coming over to Mills’ house to cut her dogs’ hair before the two women smoked marijuana and, according to Mills, both became paranoid.
Mills told police she saw Spillner make a sudden movement with her hand, which led her to believe Spillner was going to stab her, compelling her to fire a handgun she had in her bedroom, according to Fox 6 Milwaukee, who also cited court documents.
The outlets reported that Mills told police she did not intend to kill Spillner.
Mills had her bond set at $150,000 and remains in custody, according to local jail records reviewed by PEOPLE. She is due back in court on Nov. 17.
Read the original article on People
