A senior who shot dead her critically ill husband in a hospital in a crooked murder-suicide says she will not change her actions.

A 79-year-old woman jailed in 2023 for murdering her terminally ill husband as part of a crooked murder-suicide deal says she won’t make a difference and “accepts the consequences”.

It was three years ago that Ellen Gilland of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, smuggled her husband Jerry’s gun into his hospital room in Daytona Beach and fired a single, fatal shot into his head.

An hour-long standoff ensued, forcing staff and patients to shelter in place until police officers finally threw a non-lethal explosive device into the room and took Gillard into custody.

A judge ultimately accepted Gilland’s claim that her actions were part of an agreement with her 77-year-old husband, but sentenced her to a year in prison and 12 years of probation because of the disruption and fear she sowed among neighbors.

Asked by Fox 35 Orlando if she would change her actions now, Gilland insisted: “There was nothing else to do.”

According to the report, Gilland told investigators that three weeks earlier, she and her husband, Jerry – who was 77 years old – had agreed that she would kill him if his illness worsened.

“I knew what was coming. I knew how hard it would be without him. Not just my best friend, but all the things we’ve done for each other…,” she told Fox 35.

“In the 76 years leading up to this incident, I had never been in trouble before in my life, and never planned to hurt anyone,” he added.

Of her late husband, whom she had known since middle school, she said: “He was very supportive, very quiet, very generous. He was a beautiful person.”

Gilland said she brought her husband’s old gun to the hospital and spoke to him briefly before killing him. Later, though, she discovered that she couldn’t go through with the suicide part of her plan.

When hospital staff entered the room, however, Gilland – clearly in a state of extreme distress – pointed a gun at them and told them to leave, an armed standoff with police ensued.

“Tell me what’s going on! I don’t want to hurt you!” An officer can be heard shouting on the body cam footage.

“Things didn’t go the way I expected,” Gilland admitted in his later interview.

Later, Gillard was initially charged with first-degree murder, but his charges were dropped by a grand jury. She eventually pleaded no contest to manslaughter with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with a firearm.

A nurse testified during his trial that he was forced to quit his job after the murder because he “no longer felt safe” at the hospital and “had nightmares” regularly because of the incident.

Gilland told Fox 35 that she was struggling in prison, suffering a heart attack just six weeks into her sentence due to stress. She served the rest of her time in the infirmary before being released in November 2025.

“Most of the guards were very — not really friendly, but accepting,” she said. “There were some of them who were very rude, and yelling, and calling names.”

Now released, Gilland is doing court-ordered community service, and will do it monthly for as long as she’s physically able. She recently started working at a local animal shelter, according to Fox 35.

“I’m accepting the consequences,” she told the outlet.. “I have to figure out how to live after this.”

She also told the outlet that she would try to live the rest of her life without her husband, while advocating for the legalization of assisted suicide.

“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I did what I did,” she said.

If you are experiencing feelings of sadness, or struggling to cope, you can talk to Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), by email. jo@samaritans.orgor visit The Samaritans If you’re in the United States and you or someone you know needs mental health help right now, call or text 988, or visit the website to find details of a branch near you. 988lifeline.org To access online chat from 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go here. www.befrienders.org To find your nearest helpline