Quick Hit:

Jillian Lauren Shriner, a bestselling author and wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, was shot by Los Angeles police during an unrelated manhunt and later charged with suspicion of attempted murder. The LAPD says she pointed a handgun at officers who were investigating a hit-and-run in her neighborhood. She has since been hospitalized and released on a $1 million bond.

Key Details:

• LAPD says Shriner pointed a pistol at officers during a suspect search in Eagle Rock, prompting them to open fire.

• Shriner was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and booked on suspicion of attempted murder.

• She has since posted a $1 million bond and been released, with no indication yet of an arraignment.

Diving Deeper:

The shooting took place Tuesday afternoon in Eagle Rock, a residential neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles. According to LAPD accounts, officers and California Highway Patrol were pursuing suspects in a hit-and-run that occurred on the nearby 134 Freeway. While setting up a perimeter and searching the area, officers reportedly encountered Shriner, 51, in the yard of a home adjacent to their search site.

Authorities allege that Shriner was armed with a 9mm handgun and ignored “multiple commands” to drop the weapon. Officers claim she pointed the weapon at them, prompting police to fire. She was struck in the shoulder and fled into her home. Moments later, news helicopters captured footage of Shriner and another woman lying face-down on the sidewalk before police detained them. She was later transported to the hospital and treated for injuries that officials say are not life-threatening.

Detective Meghan Aguilar of the LAPD told reporters that it’s still unclear from body-worn camera footage whether Shriner discharged her firearm, noting that officers issued repeated commands before the shooting. "Unfortunately, it did result in an officer-involved shooting," Aguilar said during a press conference Wednesday.

Despite the LAPD’s claims, there is currently no independent confirmation of the sequence of events. Crucially, Shriner was not involved in the hit-and-run that prompted the police presence in the first place — a detail acknowledged by LAPD in their public statement. One of the three suspects in that crime has since been apprehended.

Shriner was booked in absentia while hospitalized and has now posted a $1 million bond to secure her release. As of Thursday afternoon, there are no public records of an arraignment in L.A. County court.

Shriner is a noted author whose controversial memoir Some Girls: My Life in a Harem detailed her time in the Prince of Brunei’s harem. She also authored Behold the Monster, chronicling her investigation into serial killer Samuel Little. She appeared in a Starz docuseries in 2021 exploring her relationship with Little.

Her husband, Scott Shriner, plays bass for the long-running alternative rock band Weezer. The group is still scheduled to perform at this weekend’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, despite the disturbing events surrounding Shriner’s arrest.

"Scott Shriner of the band Weezer" by Hunter Kahn licensed under (CC BY-SA 4.0)