JACKSON, Mich. – A tragic case of mistaken identity resulted in the death of a 78-year-old woman in Jackson, Michigan. Arion James Wagner, a 19-year-old man, allegedly sought revenge on a supposed shooter who targeted his mother’s house. Mistakenly identifying a residence with red curtains, Wagner opened fire, fatally shooting an innocent woman. Wagner now faces charges of open murder, discharging a firearm causing death, as well as domestic violence and assault charges.
On the night of January 29, officers responded to the scene and found Nora Luna with a gunshot wound to the head. Despite paramedics’ efforts, she succumbed to her injuries the following day. Authorities arrested Wagner approximately an hour after the incident. During the preliminary hearing, Wagner’s girlfriend testified that he had directed her to drive to a home to retrieve prescription drugs before going to his mother’s house. Upon discovering that someone had shot the house, Wagner allegedly became enraged. Phone conversations that were played during the hearing revealed that someone had informed him the shooter had red curtains. Consequently, Wagner mistook Luna’s house for the offender’s and opened fire.
Prosecutors emphasized that neither Luna nor anyone in her house had any connection to Wagner or the shooting at his mother’s house. Furthermore, Wagner’s girlfriend recounted an earlier incident of domestic violence in which he allegedly physically assaulted her, even subjecting her to threats with a firearm. Tragically, she later suffered a miscarriage.
Wagner’s attorney, Kareem Johnson, addressed the lack of visible bruising on the girlfriend’s body, as depicted in photographs taken on the same day. The hearing is set to continue next week, determining whether there is sufficient probable cause to proceed with the case in circuit court.
Born in Mexico, Nora Luna relocated to Michigan at a young age. According to her obituary, Luna was dedicated to caring for her special needs daughter, who now faces the challenge of moving forward without her mother.