Jillian Lauren, the wife of Weezer's bass player Scott Shriner, found herself in the media spotlight this week following a series of alarming events. This culminated in the bestselling author being shot by police and facing serious allegations of attempting to murder an LAPD officer. Here’s a detailed account of the events leading up to Lauren's arrest.
The chaos began around 3:25 p.m. on Tuesday, when three suspects fled from a hit-and-run incident on the 134 Freeway. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), responding to a request for assistance from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), launched a search for the suspects in the nearby neighborhood of Eagle Rock.
During this manhunt, officers spotted Lauren in the backyard of a property adjacent to her home. According to police reports, she was seen with a handgun drawn, pointing it at the officers and ignoring repeated commands to drop the weapon. In a shocking turn of events, Lauren opened fire on the police, leading to her being shot by the officers, as stated by LAPD spokesperson Jennifer Forkish.
Following the incident, Lauren managed to flee into her home but later exited the property and was transported to a local hospital by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Her manager, Charlie Fusco, declined to comment, and her lawyer did not respond to inquiries from The Times.
After the shooting, police confirmed that Lauren was a resident of the home and was not connected to the hit-and-run. Investigators collected shell casings and reviewed video footage from the scene, ultimately booking her on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer. A 9-mm handgun was recovered from her residence.
Meanwhile, the California Highway Patrol apprehended the suspected hit-and-run driver around 4:20 p.m., who was found in a nearby backyard dressed only in his boxers. This freeway collision involved three vehicles and resulted in one individual being hospitalized with moderate injuries. The other two suspects who fled the hit-and-run remain at large, according to police reports.
Lauren was released from custody after posting a $1 million bail around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, as per Los Angeles jail records. She is scheduled to appear in court on April 30. As of Thursday afternoon, no formal charges had been filed against her, and the LAPD had yet to present a case to the L.A. County district attorney’s office, which will ultimately decide any potential charges.
In California, the attempted murder of a peace officer without premeditation carries a potential sentence of five, seven, or nine years, with the use of a firearm possibly resulting in an enhanced sentence.
On the other hand, Shriner is set to perform at Coachella alongside his Weezer bandmates this Saturday. When approached by the media outside his home on Thursday, he expressed concern for his wife, stating, “She’s all right, thank you for asking,” before promoting the upcoming show, marking the band’s fourth appearance at the prestigious festival.
Jillian Lauren is a bestselling author originally from New Jersey, celebrated for her personal memoirs and investigative storytelling. She gained significant recognition for her 2010 memoir, “Some Girls: My Life in a Harem,” in which she recounts her experiences living in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei during the mid-1990s.
Lauren shares two sons with Shriner, whom she married in 2005. In her 2015 memoir, “Everything You Ever Wanted,” she candidly discusses her struggles with infertility and her journey toward motherhood through adoption. Her writing has been featured in prominent publications such as The Times, the New York Times, Salon, Vanity Fair, and Harper’s Bazaar.
Most recently, in 2023, she published “Behold the Monster: Facing America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer,” a book inspired by her interviews with serial killer Samuel Little. This work also served as the foundation for the Starz documentary series “Confronting a Serial Killer.” As the situation develops, all eyes remain on Lauren and the implications of her actions.
