In the early morning hours of July 15, 2020, violence shattered the quiet of a Mount Pleasant, Michigan neighborhood. Chad Kuzma, a 33-year-old male, was shot and killed in what police would soon classify as a homicide. The incident occurred at a residence located at 505 S. Bradley Street, where officers were dispatched at approximately 2:53 a.m. following a report of the shooting.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement discovered Kuzma deceased at the scene.
They also found another victim, a 25-year-old man from Mount Pleasant, who had sustained a gunshot wound. This second individual was transported for medical treatment and was subsequently released. The initial response from the Mount Pleasant Police Department quickly evolved into a full-scale homicide investigation, with detectives pursuing all available leads to identify who was responsible for the deadly shooting. Assistance was provided by a multitude of agencies, including the Michigan State Police, Isabella County Sheriff's Department, and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, among others.
The investigation, which involved witness statements and other leads, soon pointed to a suspect. Charles Reid, a 29-year-old from Saginaw County, was identified as the alleged shooter. He was arrested and taken to the Isabella County Jail. On July 22, 2020, Reid was formally arraigned in Isabella County Court on a string of serious charges. These included homicide-open murder, assault with intent to murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and three counts of felony firearm. Following the arraignment, he was held in the Isabella County Jail on a $1,600,000 cash bond.
