In a wild and unsettling moment that many in the media seem hesitant to fully confront, the wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing a gun at a police officer during a manhunt in Los Angeles. Jillian Lauren-Shriner, a 51-year-old author and outspoken progressive, was reportedly shot in the shoulder after pointing a firearm at officers and ignoring repeated commands to disarm. The incident took place on April 8 in the couple’s Eagle Rock neighborhood, far removed from the chaos of the hit-and-run suspects LAPD was originally pursuing.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, Lauren-Shriner was somehow released on a $1 million bond just days later. Shriner, 59, confirmed outside his home on April 10, “She’s alright, thank you for asking… see you at Coachella!” as he walked four dogs and brushed off the scandal.
Let’s be clear—this is the wife of a high-profile rock musician, armed and allegedly aiming at police officers, during an active manhunt. LAPD says shell casings and video evidence confirm she fired at officers. Still, the media seems more concerned with the band’s upcoming Coachella slot than the fact that a woman charged with attempted murder of a peace officer was quietly released.
Lauren-Shriner’s background is just as jarring. She’s a published memoirist whose past includes years in a royal harem, and in March, she publicly announced a cancer diagnosis. At the time of the shooting, she was recovering from surgery. According to reports, she retreated into her home after the shootout, then later surrendered.
While police continue searching for two suspects from the original hit-and-run, the public is left asking: If this were a conservative figure or spouse of a GOP official, would the media be treating it so casually?