In a quiet Milwaukee apartment complex near 95th Street and Brown Deer Road, a night of heated words turned deadly on May 31, 2025, leaving a community in shock and a family shattered. Doris Winters, a 61-year-old woman, stood outside her apartment building, a handgun slipping from her hand as stunned neighbors watched. Moments earlier, she had fatally shot her 49-year-old husband, Aerion Winters, in the back during a heated argument, later telling police she was “just tired” of his verbal abuse. The tragedy unfolded in front of a witness who tried desperately to calm the escalating dispute, only to witness a single, irreversible act that ended a life and altered the course of many others.
The incident began when Aerion, who had been living at a separate residence, arrived at Doris’s apartment to retrieve some belongings. Accompanied by a friend who drove him, Aerion entered the apartment, and tensions quickly flared. According to court documents, the couple’s argument grew heated, with a witness attempting to intervene by physically standing between them. Doris, however, retrieved a handgun from a nearby table in the living room, racked the slide, and announced it was loaded. The situation escalated further when Aerion spoke to Doris’s mother upstairs, an action that reportedly infuriated Doris. As the witness continued to mediate, Doris reached over them and fired a single shot into Aerion’s back. “Get him out of here before I shoot him again,” she reportedly said, her voice laced with a mix of anger and exhaustion. Despite efforts by two individuals to carry Aerion out of the apartment and attempts at lifesaving measures, he was pronounced dead at the scene, his body bearing gunshot wounds to the back and chest.
Doris Winters was arrested and charged with first-degree reckless homicide and use of a dangerous weapon, according to a criminal complaint filed on June 4, 2025, in Milwaukee County. During her transport to the police station, she admitted to the shooting, stating, “He called me a [expletive] for the last time, and I just shot him.” Her repeated refrain to officers was one of weariness: “I’m just tired. I know I shouldn’t have shot him, but I’m just tired.” While Doris claimed she did not intend to kill her husband, her actions have left a permanent mark on those who knew the couple and the community that witnessed the aftermath.
Milwaukee police responded to the scene shortly after 10 p.m., guided by residents who pointed out Doris as she walked away from the apartment, dropping the handgun. The witness’s account painted a picture of a volatile moment, one where de-escalation efforts failed to prevent a fatal outcome. The tragedy adds to Milwaukee’s ongoing struggle with violent crime, with the city recording multiple homicides in 2025 alone. While the specifics of Doris and Aerion’s relationship remain private, the incident underscores the devastating consequences of domestic disputes that spiral out of control.
As Doris Winters awaits her next court appearance, the community grapples with the loss of Aerion, a man whose life ended abruptly in a moment of unchecked emotion. The case serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of human relationships and the irreversible consequences of decisions made in anger. For now, the apartment complex on Milwaukee’s north side stands as a silent witness to a tragedy that has left neighbors, friends, and family searching for answers.
