Caretaker Charged In Fatal Roswell Shooting Granted Bond

ROSWELL, GA — The caretaker of a group of special needs men and boys who has been charged in connection to the fatal shooting of one of the teens outside a Roswell business has been granted bond.

A Fulton County Magistrate Court judge granted Gerard Keith Brister $15,000 bond during the defendant's first appearance hearing on Thursday, said Fulton Sheriff's Office spokesperson Tracy Flanagan. His next court date is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. July 19 in Courtroom 8C at the Fulton County Courthouse.

Brister, 35, of Brookhaven, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct after a 21-year-old man killed 17-year-old Zachary Chambless of Dunwoody with a firearm he left inside his vehicle, Roswell police said earlier this week. While he was granted bond, Fulton County Jail records show Brister has not been released as of Thursday.

Brister was the driver and caretaker of a group of boys and young men who were going on a camping trip organized by Tucker-based My Buddy & Me. Police were dispatched to the call of a shooting around 12:45 p.m. July 3 outside Mountain Motorsports at 1275 Upper Hembree Road.

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An investigation reveals Brister went inside the business, and left six teens and young men inside an SUV, Roswell police spokesperson Sgt. Zachary Frommer said. One of those men, a 21-year-old with "significantly diminished capabilities," picked up a firearm that was left under a seat of the vehicle and fatally shot Chambless, who also had special needs, Frommer said.

A 63-year-old male bystander in the parking lot, who had no ties to the group, was also grazed on the hand during the shooting. He drove himself to WellStar North Fulton Hospital where he was treated and released.

Sgt. Frommer said the shooting was an accident. Fulton County District Attorney's Office may pursue additional reckless conduct charges due to the nature of the shooting and the number of victims, he added.

According to a cached version of My Buddy and Me's website that has since been deleted, the organization "immerses teens and young adults into typical environments and assists them in establishing a level of independence in their daily routine."

Brister is listed as the co-founder of My Buddy and Me, that cached version notes. He has spent the last 15 years working with teens and young adults who are developmentally delayed. The website said he worked as an after-school care provider, youth counselor and youth activities coordinator at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville Youth Activity Center, YMCA, Elaine Clark Center and Heart of Hope Academy.

"Gerard enjoys what he does and hopes to provide young people with special needs opportunities that enhance their quality of life and immerse them into "typical" environments that allow them to grow," the website said. "He is currently attending Georgia State University to obtain a degree in education. In his free time, he enjoys taking photos (including all images for My Buddy & Me), listening to music, driving his 1964 Chevy Nova and playing football and frisbee."

Photo: Gerard Keith Brister. Credit: Fulton County Jail