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Woman who killed terminally ill husband at hospital had planned shooting with him, police say

Ellen Gilland, 76, faces charges of murder, aggravated assault with deadly weapon
body camera video of Ellen Gilland being taken into custody after hospital shooting, Jan. 21, 2023
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A woman who fatally shot her terminally ill husband inside a Florida hospital was taken into custody over the weekend after SWAT team members used a nonlethal explosive device to distract her and then tried to use a stun gun on her, authorities said Monday.

However, the Taser gun failed to subdue Ellen Gilland, and the 76-year-old fired a shot into the ceiling of her husband's room inside AdventHealth Daytona Beach before dropping the handgun and being taken into custody after a four-hour standoff, according to a police report from the Daytona Beach Police Department.

According to police, Gilland told officers that her 77-year-old husband, Jerry Gilland, had been ill for some time and they had planned the shooting together.

body camera video of Ellen Gilland being taken into custody after hospital shooting, Jan. 21, 2023
Police body-camera video shows Ellen Gilland being led out of AdventHealth Daytona Beach after fatally shooting her terminally ill husband, Jan. 21, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Ellen Gilland now faces charges of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of aggressive assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, stemming from when she pointed her gun at staff members who had entered the hospital room after hearing a gunshot, according to the police report.

She remained in jail without bond Monday, and her court-appointed public defender didn't respond to an email inquiry.