A Gary man is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend with a sawed-off shotgun on Monday.

Charles Franklin, 26, of Gary, is facing charges of murder; unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony; domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony; and domestic battery committed in the presence of a child younger than 16. He’s also facing a charge of intimidation, a Level 6 felony, from a May 2 incident, and misdemeanor domestic battery from an April 12 incident.

Franklin is currently being held in custody without bail.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office said Arrianna Miles, 26, was pronounced dead at 3:04 p.m. Monday at the Methodist Hospital Northlake emergency room. The news release listed Miles’ preliminary cause of death as bleeding to death after a close-range gunshot wound, which entered her body in a downward trajectory, according to the autopsy.

On Monday afternoon, police were sent to the 2400 block of Pennsylvania Street in response to a gunshot victim, according to the probable cause affidavit. When police arrived, they saw a woman, later identified as Miles, on the ground, staring face up with a red stain in her abdomen area. Police saw a man, later identified as Charles Franklin, standing over her, saying that the gun used was under a loveseat, court records stated, and police found a sawed-off shotgun.

Franklin told police the pair were arguing and Miles had the gun when they started fighting and wrestling, which is when the gun went off.

Doctors at Methodist Hospital Northlake said Miles died after she arrived, records state. In a later search of Miles’ house, police found five 12-gauge shotgun shells that matched the one spent shell casing previously found on scene.

In the 911 call, Franklin tells the dispatcher that Miles was shot in the stomach and he is applying pressure to the wound, the affidavit states. When asked if the shooting was intentional, Franklin hesitates before saying “no” and claims the bleeding is under control. Miles is heard in the background saying repeatedly, “Why would you do that?” records state. As she is laboring in pain, Miles sounds like she is in and out of consciousness, stating “I’m dying” and “take me outside” before ultimately going silent and struggling to breathe. Miles tells police to “Please get him away from me” — referring to Franklin — when they arrive on scene, court records state.

Franklin was convicted of armed robbery with a firearm in Cook County Circuit Court in March 2021.

Franklin was interviewed by police, where he said he was involved in a verbal argument with Miles, his girlfriend and the mother of his 11-month-old son, the affidavit states. He said the argument started as he wasn’t leaving in a timely manner to get cigars from a gas station; he said Miles was in the process of kicking him out and bringing up old arguments, including that he cheated on her.

He claimed he was trying to stay calm and not getting physical, court records state. He said Miles was holding their son and throwing his clothes onto the living room floor. He said that she grabbed the gun from a closet and held it with the barrel facing her, records state. He claimed the stock was angled up and the barrel angled down, which police noted is contradictory to the size and weight of the gun.

Franklin said he approached, hit the butt of the gun and tried to grab it from her when the gun went off and struck Miles, the affidavit states.

Police asked why the gun’s ammo was lying around and Franklin said he didn’t know.

A law enforcement database showed that Franklin choked, punched and hit Miles with a belt on April 12, 2025, and the pair filed protective orders against each other that month, records state. On May 2, 2025, the database had a record of a domestic incident when Miles asked Franklin to leave and he replied that he loved her but would kill her. On June 9, Cook County Police responded to a parking garage where Miles alleged Franklin struck and choked her before slamming her into the ground and causing her to go unconscious for a time, court records state.

A witness said in another incident that Franklin was the aggressor toward Miles.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/19/gary-man-accused-of-fatally-shooting-girlfriend/