Inset: Cameron E. Tomlinson (Howard County Jail). Background: The apartment complex where Tomlinson allegedly shot and killed his wife (Google Maps).
An Indiana man, aged 21, stands accused of fatally shooting his wife and causing serious harm to their newborn, after allegedly claiming the incident was a self-inflicted wound by his 21-year-old spouse.
Cameron E. Tomlinson was apprehended last week and faces charges of reckless homicide along with two counts of criminal recklessness involving a deadly weapon in connection with the death of Jessica M. Tomlinson, as indicated by court documents.
The Kokomo Police Department’s initial investigation report details that officers responded to a shooting report at an apartment complex located on the 400 block of West Lincoln Road around 7 p.m. on February 24. Tomlinson, who made the call, informed the dispatcher that his wife had sustained “a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Upon arrival, first responders discovered Jessica Tomlinson on the floor with a gunshot wound to her upper body. Cameron Tomlinson and their newborn were present at the scene, with the infant suffering a gunshot wound to the hand, which police described as causing “significant trauma.”
Emergency medical personnel attempted life-saving interventions, but Jessica Tomlinson did not survive and was declared dead at the scene. The infant was initially taken to Community Howard Regional Health Hospital, then transferred to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis for specialized care.
The initial release stated, “Responding officers were told that Jessica was handling a firearm and accidentally shot herself.” It was also noted that the 1-month-old infant was in Jessica’s arms during the incident, resulting in a gunshot wound to the infant’s hand.
After collecting evidence from the home and conducting interviews with Cameron Tomlinson as well as his neighbors and family, authorities placed him under arrest in connection with Jessica Tomlinson’s death.
Court documents obtained by Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN provided additional details regarding the circumstances of Tomlinson’s arrest.
The documents state that Cameron Tomlinson told detectives he and his wife were getting ready for a night out when she insisted he take a revolver with him because she thought it “went well with his outfit.” He claimed she went to the safe and grabbed the gun while holding the baby.
Cameron Tomlinson claimed that when she returned with the gun, the hammer of the gun was cocked and she was holding the firearm by the barrel when she tried to open the cylinder with one hand and shot herself.
However, when pressed about what happened, Cameron Tomlinson reportedly changed his story and said he “didn’t like” how she was holding the gun by the barrel so he reached out, grabbed the revolver, and tried to pull it from her. The gun reportedly went off, striking Jessica Tomlinson.
Cameron Tomlinson said he was not sure if he pulled the trigger, but said he must have, adding, “to sum it up, that means I shot her.”
He is currently being held in the Howard County Jail on $15,000 cash-only bond. A judge also ordered that Cameron Tomlinson have no contact with his baby. He is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference on the morning of May 20, records show.
