Shooting Victim Serving Prison Sentence
Update | March 26, 2026: This article initially covered Zion Ward's 2024 arrest but has been updated to reflect the outcome of the case and his prison sentence for his 2025 case.
On September 8, 2024, 21-year-old Zion Motheus Ward was arrested and charged false imprisonment (felony) and misdemeanor domestic battery.
Around noon, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) Deputy David Visconti responded to the Crossings at Santa Fe apartment complex in response to a call about a suspicious vehicle.
A security guard informed the Combined Communications Center that he saw a woman screaming in a vehicle and a man stopping her from getting out.
When Ward drove to the rear of the apartment complex, the victim reportedly was able to exit and found someone to help her contact the police.
The security guard who witnessed the incident wrote a sworn statement corroborating the victim’s accounts.
Ward was released after posting a $50,000 bond.
Despite police initially charging him with domestic battery, when prosecutors formally filed the charges, the battery count was filed under the standard, non-domestic battery statute subsection.
On December 2, 2024, Ward was sentenced to one year of probation after entering a no contest plea to battery while he wasn't prosecuted for false imprisonment.
On November 6, 2025, Ward was arrested on an intimidation warrant for an incident that occurred a few months prior.
The police report states Ward texted the victim threats to shoot her and her unborn child and that the victim was in fear for her life, saying Ward had the means to act on his threat.
Ward was denied bond in this case.
On February 16, 2026, Ward appeared for his change-of-plea hearing in the intimidation case. The hearing also touched on Ward's probation violation, as his new arrest placed him in violation of his probation for his 2024 case.
Ward's defense attorney, Yvens Pierre-Antoine, told Judge Robert Groeb, "Mr. Ward was a victim of a shooting in Tallahassee, and he cooperated. He is extremely paranoid. And what we've been trying to do is sentence a consecutive nine months of jail sentence; so he'll be, in essence, serving 18 months. He'll be getting less time credit... He's going to work on his GED and get his life together. So we're going to be asking if the Court wouldn't mind sentencing him to two nine-month consecutive terms."
"I really don't like to do that," replied Groeb.
Pierre-Antoine responded, "It's an unusual circumstance, Judge, but we typically don't ask that, but in this situation, when you've been a victim, trauma from a
shooting and he cooperated..."
Pierre-Antoine said he had never been shot at before and Groeb responded, "I have... It's no fun."
Pierre-Antoine said Ward is "not a street guy" and "more or less [has] been spoiled."
Groeb said that he would be okay with 18 months.
Ward addressed Groeb, stating, "I just want to speak to you, Judge. I just want to let you know the type of person I am. I'm not a violent person. I never been a violent person. I never had an extensive record or anything like that. And I take care of a son. And I just want to try to see if I can ask you – I understand the things that I've done, and I completely take the fault for that. But I just - I just wanted to try to see if I can talk to you to try to get the initial plea for the nine and nine consecutive for the 18-month county time. I understand that Mr. Pierre said that you may not accept that, but I just want to speak out in my voice and just let you know that I'm not a violent person. And, actually, I have been going on, like, a job and stuff like that... I just want to get this over with. I was just trying to prevent from going to prison."
Groeb told Ward, "It's always been my philosophy that you've got two crimes here that involve violence or threats of violence. You got probation... Then you violated the probation by committing the new crime involving threats of violence... I'm not going to put you in the county jail, because I've given you a chance on probation that you did not take advantage of. I feel compelled to send you to prison if you plea in front of me."
Ward's mother spoke at this hearing where she stated, "My son is not a bad person at all. I have witnessed the victim when all that this happened. Me and my ex-husband witnessed her coming to his apartment, jumping on my son, and everything. She's made a mockery of this case by saying that she was pregnant. She's never been pregnant and never lost any twins or anything. I've asked if we could have her to show records where she went. I've presented to his lawyer a video where the victim, the so-called victim, went to my son's apartment with a gun, and it's on video. You can hear her on there. And there's several of the tenants there – he got put out of his place in Gainesville because she kept coming to the property. He did the necessary steps to get away from her. He asked for a transfer. I understand. I don't just blame him. I blame both of them. If my son has to serve charges, so should she. We presented police records where there are numerous calls, her vandalizing his car, vandalizing the apartment. I went extra to get all this information. And on top of that, I have a non-profit organization that I help homeless and battered individuals, as well as reentry. And I do this because we have lived through trauma. My son is a victim of three-time attempted murder in Tallahassee. They tried to kill him three times in one year. The State of Florida – the State victim advocate moved us from Leon County to Santa Rosa County, where I became a victim myself and had to go through things, where people tried to kill me."
Ward's mother continued, "We have been through a lot... I have been mother and the father to him. On one of his birthdays, his father decided to sign over his rights, say he didn't want it; so I've been the sole provider. And my son know how I feel about him putting his hands on a female. I'm not asking the judge for much. Judge, I'm not. But my son - I understand it was wrong of him to make that threat; but, at the same time, she did not present the whole entire text message. That young lady - every time she talked to the state attorney, she called me. She even did a recording, and I sent that over, where she made a mockery, 'Oh, I hope he get this amount of years.' And then on top of that, we have record where she has done this to three other men, young men, tried to say that they assaulted her. And the State should know this because the records are there. But I'm asking – I'm pleading for you, Judge, if you would. The ones that tried to kill my son- they're in prison right now. And that puts him at risk. And I'm scared because I don't want to lose my son. I understand he has to do some time, but he's not prison material. Trust that he's not that."
Groeb said he could only take crimes into consideration when they're brought by the state.
Ward's mother said she felt like there was a lot of evidence that wasn't being reviewed.
Ward took the plea deal for 18 months in prison.
Before being taken away, Ward asked to hug his mom but Groeb said he couldn't allow it because he was in custody of the Sheriff's Office. Ward settled with saying "love ya'll."
"I'm straight, though," said Ward. "I'm good. I'll be all right. I'm a man. I'm built to last. I'm good."
On February 23, 2026, Ward submitted a notice of appeal to his judgement and sentence.
Ward is scheduled to be released on May 7, 2027.
