Wisconsin – In a tragic and emotionally charged case in Wisconsin, a 61-year-old woman named Doris W. faces a serious criminal charge after admitting to fatally shooting her estranged 49-year-old husband, Aerion W., during a late-night argument. Doris is now facing one count of first-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon for the fatal shooting of Aerion on May 31.
Police were dispatched to an apartment complex shortly after 10 p.m. after receiving reports of gunfire. When officers arrived, they were directed by witnesses to a woman walking away from the scene, later identified as Doris.
As officers approached, she allegedly dropped her firearm without resistance. Inside the house, officers discovered Aerion with gunshot wounds to his back and chest. Despite emergency responders’ efforts to save his life, he was pronounced dead on the scene.
Witnesses at the complex stated that the shooting occurred following a heated argument between the couple.
According to court documents, Aerion had been living elsewhere due to ongoing marital issues and had returned to the home that night to retrieve personal belongings.
According to the criminal complaint, a third party present during the incident attempted to intervene as the argument escalated.
This witness told police that, despite standing between the couple in an attempt to calm things down, Doris retrieved a loaded handgun from the living room. “She said the gun was loaded,” the witness recalled, adding that Doris then pointed the weapon and shot her husband in the back.
As Aerion collapsed, Doris allegedly said to the witness, “Get him out of here before I shoot him again.” Doris’s unsolicited, incriminating remarks while sitting in a police patrol vehicle made the situation even more disturbing.
In the criminal complaint, she stated: “He called me a b…h for the last time, and I just shot him.” I just shot him. I just grabbed my gun and shot him because I was tired. I realize I shouldn’t have shot him, but I’m just tired.”
Law enforcement officials later confirmed that the couple had separated and was experiencing increasing tension.
According to the witness, the two had argued several times, with the most recent exchange marked by what Doris described as repeated verbal insults from her husband.
The couple’s relationship reportedly deteriorated to the point where Aerion no longer lived at home. Doris waived her right to remain silent after being taken to the station and admitted to fatally shooting her husband.
Authorities said she clearly understood her actions and expressed regret, but she was overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted. Doris has been officially charged with first-degree reckless homicide and the use of a dangerous weapon.
If convicted, she could face several decades in prison. She is currently being held in the county jail, with a bond hearing scheduled for later this week.
The court has not yet decided whether Doris will be subjected to a psychological evaluation, but the case raises concerns about the effects of long-term emotional abuse and the pressures that accumulate in toxic relationships.
Currently, no prior protective orders or documented reports of domestic violence between the couple have been made public. As the investigation continues, authorities are attempting to piece together the full picture of what motivated Doris to take such a fatal and irreversible action.
