Jillian Lauren, a writer with a knack for gripping stories and the wife of Weezer’s bassist Scott Shriner, ended up shot by police in her own front yard—caught in a moment that’s left everyone scrambling to understand what happened.
The whole thing started miles away, on the 134 Freeway, where a car crash sent three guys running. They ditched their vehicle and slipped into Eagle Rock’s backstreets, setting off a police chase. Cops from the highway patrol and LAPD flooded the area, checking alleys and knocking on doors. It was tense—neighbors peeked through blinds, unsure what was going on.
Around 3:30 p.m., officers working their way down Lauren’s block saw her standing outside her house, a 9mm handgun in her grip.
What came next was quick and messy. The police told her to drop the gun, loud and clear, multiple times, according to their report. But Lauren, 51, didn’t listen—instead, they say, she pointed it right at them. That’s when a bullet flew, catching her in the shoulder. She staggered back into her home, blood soaking her shirt. Not long after, she walked out with her babysitter, hands up, and let the cops cuff her.
Medics got her to a hospital fast; the wound won’t kill her, but the fallout might weigh heavier. By Wednesday, she’d paid a $1 million bond to get out, slapped with a charge of attempted murder.
Nobody’s sure why Lauren did what she did. Was she spooked, thinking the police were someone else with all the commotion? Her gun was legal, registered in her name, but that doesn’t explain much. She’s not talking, and neither is Shriner, 59, who’s got a Weezer gig at Coachella coming up this weekend.
Lauren’s made a career out of bold books—stuff like Some Girls, about her wild younger years, or Behold the Monster, diving into a killer’s mind. Now, her own life reads like something she might’ve written.
Eagle Rock’s still rattled. “I was watering my plants when I heard the yelling,” said a guy down the street, shaking his head like he couldn’t quite believe it. One of those runaway drivers got caught, but two are still out there somewhere. The police are digging into the shooting, going over body cams and chatting with anyone who saw it go down. They’re trying to piece together how a routine search turned into this.
Lauren’s got court ahead, though no one knows.