Chaperone charged in deadly shooting involving two young men with special needs

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — In a deadly shooting involving two young men with special needs, their chaperone, the owner of the gun, remains behind bars.

Although Roswell police said it was an accident, they believe it was a preventable accident.

35-year-old Gerard Brister, who was left in charge of a group of teens and young men with special needs, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct after a 21-year-old shot and killed a 17-year-old identified as Zachary Chambless. Police said more charges could be on the way for Brister.

The shooting also injured a 63-year-old bystander who reported that a bullet grazed him in the hand.

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Brister is the founder and CEO of "My Buddy and Me," a nonprofit that aims to "create a safe, happy, and loving environment" for people with special needs. The company's website and Facebook page were both deleted when Channel 2's Matt Johnson checked Wednesday.

Police said a group of six young men were left in a vehicle alone outside a motorsports store when the shooting happened.

"This whole thing is very sensitive because the (man) who pulled the trigger has special needs, the victim has special needs," Sgt. Zachary Frommer said. "The majority of our witnesses were all special needs kids. It will be quite an undertaking to debrief the witnesses and interview all the kids involved."

No bond has been listed and no court date has been announced for Brister.

Cox Media Group