A caretaker who faces charges after a special needs man accidentally shot and killed another has been released from jail on bond, officials said Friday.
Gerard Brister, 35, of Brookhaven, was the caretaker for a group of teenagers and young men participating in a camping trip when one of the participants accidentally shot another on Tuesday, Roswell police said in a news release.
Zachary Chambless, 17, of Dunwoody, died on the scene. The 21-year-old shooter has not been named.
The shooting, which occurred about 12:45 p.m. outside Mountain Motorsports on the 1200 block of Upper Hembree Road, resulted in Brister’s arrest on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
MORE: Caretaker faces charges after special needs man accidentally shoots, kills another
It also triggered an investigation into Brister’s program, whose mission is to serve 13- to 25-year-olds with special needs.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning received a complaint that the Tucker-based “My Buddy and Me” program had neither a valid license to operate as a child care provider in Georgia nor an exemption from licensing, spokesman Reg Griffin told AJC.com.
Bond for Brister was set Thursday at $15,000. Brister was released from the Fulton County Jail on Friday on a pretrial release signature bond without having to pay the sum under the condition he returns to court for trial, authorities said.
Brister’s next court appearance is July 19.
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