Screenshot of Video John and Michael Miller, from Abilene, Texas, were arrested for killing neighbor Aaron Howard after a dispute over garbage left in an alleyway turned deadly.
John and Michael Miller, a father and son from Abilene, Texas, were arrested for opening fire on a neighbor after a dispute over garbage left in an alleyway turned deadly. John Miller, 64, and Michael Miller, 31, are accused of killing Aaron Howard, 37, also of Abilene, Saturday morning.
“Several days ago we believe, the deceased and the Millers began arguing over trash in the alleyway,” Police Chief Stan Standridge said Saturday in a news conference that police posted on Facebook “This then triggered a back-and-forth between the neighbors, culminating with today’s violence.”
John and Michael Miller have both been charged with first-degree murder after Howard’s fiancee caught the two on camera opening fire on Howard. Both of the Millers shot Howard several times, who later died from his injuries.
Here’s what you need to know about the Millers and the incident that left their neighbor dead:
1. An Argument Broke Out Over Garbage Left in an Alley & Quickly Escalated to Several Shots Being Fired at Howard
Screenshot of KTXS VideoMichael Miller opens fire on Aaron Howard over a trash dispute.
The heated exchange began after a dispute over a mattress left in an alley behind the Millers’ home became heated. All three men were heard making threats until eventually, John Miller opens fire, shooting Howard several times. Michael Miller then opens fire as well, pulling the trigger on his shotgun.
Howard’s fiancee, Kara Box, videotaped the deadly dispute on her cell phone and released it to local ABC station KTXS. You can see the video Box taped below. Be aware that the video is graphic and disturbing, and may not be suitable for some viewers.
***WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO***
The murder of an Abilene man was caught on camera. Aaron Howard was shot and killed in the alley behind his home. His two neighbors have been charged with the murder. (Video Credit: Kara Box via KTXS) t.co/fhkpvKzKHz
The dispute began between John Miller and Howard, at which point Michael Miller allegedly went inside to retrieve a shotgun. Inside Edition reports that somebody also went inside Howard’s home to get a baseball bat. Both Millers reportedly shot Howard, who died of his injuries.
“He [Howard] didn’t even swing it, he threw it over both of their heads and it landed behind them in the alley,” Box told KTXS. “That’s when the old man fired past my face and shot Aaron in the chest twice with the pistol.”
2. Threats Can Be Heard From Both The Millers & Howard Before The Millers Opened Fire
In the video, you can hear Howard telling the Millers that they were going to go to jail. Much of the video is bleeped out due to vulgar language, but threats can be heard from both sides, as John Miller continues to tell Howard to “back off.”
At one point, John Miller says: “If you come closer to me I’m going to kill you.”
“Hey, you hear he says he’s going to kill me?” Howard asks Box. He turns back to Miller and tells him to put the gun down and go back inside. Howard then gets angrier and starts shouting that Miller “pulled a gun in front of [our] children!”
Howard then threatens to kill Miller, who says: “I doubt it.” The two continue to argue over whether Howard should be threatening Miller if he plans to show the video to the police, and Miller continues to urge Howard to “take a swing, go ahead.”
3. Howard Argued With The Millers About The”Stand Your Ground” Law & Whether or Not The Millers Would Be Protected In The Alley
TX man shot and killed over argument about trash in alley. t.co/Ofai0l5RA0
Aaron Howard was shot with both a handgun and a shotgun. He died at a local hospital.
Arrested and charged with murder were a father and his son, John Miller, 67, and Micheal, 31… his neighbors
In the video, you can hear Howard telling the Millers that they were going to go to jail. Much of the video is bleeped out due to vulgar language, but threats can be heard from both sides, as John Miller continues to tell Howard to “back off.”
You can then hear the two start to argue over what sounds like the “stand your ground” law in Texas, which gives individuals the right to use lethal force in self-defense as long as the person has the right to be where they are being threatened, usually pertaining to one’s own property. Box and Howard then tell Miller that he is in an alley, and the law wouldn’t protect them there.
Shots are fired shortly after the two-minute long exchange, right before the camera cuts out. According to Abilene Reporter News, witnesses told police they heard as many as five shots.
Police Chief Standridge said four, possibly five, people were involved in the confrontation. John Miller was apparently armed when he went to take out trash Saturday morning, and Michael Miller went back into the house to get a shotgun after the argument broke out.
4. Box Described a Bloody Scene After The Millers Opened Fire & Claimed The Shotgun Was a Scattershot For The Damage it Did to Howard
At one point in the video, Box can be heard saying “you’re not going to shoot my husband,” after walking in between the men and her Howard. However, she told KTXS that they began opening fire right over her shoulder, despite the fact that she stood between them.
“You can see that I stepped in between them and I said, ‘you’re not going to shoot my husband’ then he fired passed my head,” Box said.
Box told KTXS News that the incident when Howard was shot was the first interaction that Howard had with his neighbors. She said that she sat on the side of the road in shock, covered in her husband’s blood, waiting for the police to arrive.
She described a gruesome scene, stating that, after John Miller shot Howard in the chest over her shoulder, his son opened fire with a shotgun that must’ve been a “scattershot because it took his eye, the top of his head, his ear,” she told KTXS.
Box said Howard battled mental illness his entire life, but was getting help for a condition called IED, otherwise known as Intermittent Explosive Disorder, before he was killed. The couple was together for two years and were engaged to be married.
5. District Attorney Jim Hicks Claims The Video Evidence is Consistent With The Charges
Taylor County District Attorney Jim Hicks told KTXS: “Video evidence like this is always graphic and very difficult to watch. But, it is consistent with the charges,” Hicks said.
Both John and Michael Miller have been charged with first-degree murder. However, both are out of jail on $25,000 bond, according to KTXS.
“People deserve to know what actually happened and you know they deserve to know John and Michael Miller are murderers,” Box told KTXS.
READ NEXT: WATCH: Video Shows Murder of Aaron Howard in Trash Dispute [GRAPHIC]