Milwaukee fatal shooting near 39th and Lancaster; woman pleads not guilty
Jamica Mills
MILWAUKEE - Jamica Mills pleaded not guilty on Friday, Jan. 9 to charges in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred near 39th and Lancaster in Milwaukee on Nov. 4, 2025.
Family identified 26-year-old Ariel Spillner as the person shot and killed.
Milwaukee fatal shooting
The backstory:
Mills is charged with first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to the scene around 9:40 p.m. for reports of a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they found two women inside the residence with gunshot wounds. The women were identified as Jamica Mills and Ariel Spillner.
Ariel Spillner (photo provided by family)
Court filings say Mills was found conscious and lying on her back with a gunshot wound to her abdomen. Spillner was unresponsive and died at the scene.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Per the complaint, a Ruger LCP .380 caliber handgun and two spent .380 caliber casings were recovered at the scene.
Court filings say Mills was combative on scene and continued to be combative and uncooperative with hospital staff after she was transported.
Mills' interview with investigators
What they're saying:
During an interview with investigators at the hospital, Mills identified Spillner as her friend that she had known for approximately one year.
During the interview, Mills initially claimed she could not remember what happened. She told investigators she woke up in the living room — and the next thing she remembered was being at the hospital.
Mills later changed her story, telling investigators she and Spillner smoked weed together and both became paranoid.
Per the complaint, Mills mentioned that Spillner was supposed to cut her dog's hair with scissors, and at that time, Mills became paranoid that Spillner would stab her.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Mills explained that she went into her bedroom and retrieved her firearm off her bed and went back to the living room, according to the complaint. Mills said Spillner made a "hand motion" and then Mills shot Spillner, court filings say.
Mills told investigators she did not see the scissors and Spillner did not make any threats to stab her, per the complaint.
Milwaukee shooting: Family identifies woman killed Tuesday
Two people were shot in Milwaukee, near 39th and Lancaster, on Tuesday night. Family identified 26-year-old Ariel Spillner as the person killed.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, the criminal complaint associated with this case, and previous FOX6 News coverage.