Avantara-Milbank Shooter Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

Carrie Anne Collins, 41, of New Effington and a former employee at Avantara in Milbank, was sentenced on October 30 to 15 years in the South Dakota Women’s Prison for shooting her supervisor in the face with a 9mm handgun on January 15, 2025.

Judge Dawn M. Elshere suspended two years of the sentence and applied 267 days credit for the time Collins has been incarcerated, after Collins agreed to plead guilty but mentally ill to a charge of aggravated assault-bodily injury with a dangerous weapon. In exchange, the charge of attempted first-degree murder was dropped.

As previously reported, Collins was disgruntled by feedback she had received during a training session at Avantara and left the care home. She returned with a gun and shot her fellow employee, striking her in the nasal cavity and cheek. Collins then fled the building and was apprehended by police shortly thereafter.

Collins initially pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated assault, but in June, she was found incompetent to stand trial based on a mental evaluation. Collins received treatment in Yankton, and after it was  determined she was fit for trial, a change of plea was entered in September.

In South Dakota, aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury with a dangerous weapon is a Class 3 felony, carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and or a $15,000 fine. The specific sentence can vary based on the details of the case, with the judge considering factors like the severity of the injury and the nature of the weapon.