Arizona police investigate fatal shooting of mother in family home

Alexandria Millard, 39, was fatally shot in her Wickenburg home on July 10, according to the Wickenburg Police Department. The incident occurred on Navajo Street while Millard was at home with her children. Family members told 12News that one of the children contacted Millard's boyfriend, who then called 911.

Wickenburg cops teamed up with the Peoria Police Department CSI team, the state lab, and the county coroner to investigate the mysterious nature of the crime. The cops await results from the crime lab and the medical examiner's office before revealing further details. 

Stacie Cannard, Millard's aunt, thinks the cops are looking at all sorts of theories, not just suicide. "They have given me the impression that they do not feel that it was suicide, so much so that they're investigating it and looking for other possibilities," Cannard told 12News.

The sudden loss has left Millard's loved ones grappling for answers. Cannard described the emotional toll of the situation, saying, "Every day when you wake up, you pray that you get answers. Every day when you go to sleep, there's no answer. And then you dream, and you're happy for at least the time that you're asleep, and then you wake up and it's real all over again. And it's just too much."

Millard would've turned 40 on August 8. Her family and friends got together on her would-be birthday to remember her. Millard's close friend  Nicole Chavez said, "Going through this and not having answers and not understanding what happened or why this happened, you know, we felt like everyone that loved her getting together and remembering her and celebrating her. It was so close to her birthday, it just felt like the right thing to do." 

'She was just a beautiful person who loved life. She loved her friends and her family immensely. She would have done anything for anyone,' Chavez added.

Chavez painted Millard as someone who loved life and put her people first. "It just doesn't make sense," she said about her friend's death. We feel like there's more to the story, and we feel like some justice is due for Alex."

Colleagues at Highgate Senior Living, where Millard worked as a clinical assistant, remembered her fondly for her dedication to bringing joy to the residents. Jennifer West, the Executive Director at Highgate Senior Living, told 12News, "Alex was just very empathetic and took the extra time with all of the residents. I think she was always the first one to pick up shifts when we needed help."

A GoFundMe has been created to cover funeral costs and help her kids.