Former National Guard Member Withdraws Guilty Plea After Accidentally Shooting Self, Pregnant Wife

An accidental shooting case is headed to trial after a Thomas Township man withdrew his guilty plea.

In August 2022, former National Guard member Cameron Zuzula was “playing” with a firearm his wife Lindsay had purchased for him as a birthday present. The gun went off, striking Cameron in the hand and Lindsay in the abdomen. She was pregnant at the time. Both she and the fetus survived.

Zuzula initially pled guilty to the incident, expecting there to be only a probation sentence. However, Zuzula had been sentenced to probation for a similar incident in 2016 after accidentally shooting himself. Saginaw County Circuit Judge Manvel Trice said during court proceedings that he wasn’t sure Zuzula had learned his lesson regarding firearm safety, and should know better, especially as he was a member of the military. Trice told Zuzula there may be possible jail time during his sentencing, prompting Zuzula to withdraw his plea.