A Minneapolis woman has been charged in the shooting death of her boyfriend.
Vivian Jones, 37, of Minneapolis, was charged with intentional second-degree murder for fatally shooting her boyfriend. Jones is scheduled to make her first court appearance Aug. 5 at 1:30 p.m.
According to the criminal complaint, on July 31, around 7:50 p.m., Minneapolis police responded to a call that a man shot himself. When officers arrived at the residence, they found Vivian Jones and her 41-year-old boyfriend, who was unresponsive with a gunshot wound behind his right ear. The victim was pronounced dead at approximately 8:00 p.m.
Jones told police that the victim shot himself in the head and that she did not know where the gun was.
In a statement to officers at the house, Jones told them that she and the victim had gotten into a fight after he crashed her car earlier in the day. Jones said that she proceeded to lock the victim out of the house, the victim was able to forcefully enter the residence, and he had a gun, the complaint says.
Jones then told police she went into a bedroom and was followed by the victim who held the gun to his head saying he was “tired” and had “nothing left.” Jones said that she grabbed the magazine from the gun, but the victim shot himself in the head. She also stated to officers that she “could’ve” placed the gun in the nightstand, which is where it was subsequently found, the complaint continues. Jones claimed the gun belonged to the victim.
When medical examiner’s staff removed the victim’s body, they noted a gunshot wound to the back of his upper thigh. A neighbor told police that they saw the victim walking outside of the house when the “crack” of a gunshot was heard, followed by the victim limping back towards the house, the complaint states.
Jones was taken to the Minneapolis Police Department and interviewed by an investigator where they asked her about the second gunshot wound to the victim’s thigh. Jones initially denied shooting the victim in the thigh, but blurted out to police when they informed her she was being booked for murder, “I did shoot him in the leg, I’m sorry for lying.”
Jones told investigators that when the victim returned to the house after crashing the car, she shot him in the leg to get him out. The victim then forced his way inside the home, took the gun from Jones and shot himself, the complaint says. Jones then also admitted that the gun belongs to her.
In 2006, Jones was charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault for shooting a woman. Jones served five years in prison after pleading guilty to first degree assault.
