Police ID Teen Killed In Roswell Shooting; Caretaker Charged

ROSWELL, GA — The Roswell Police Department has charged a Brookhaven man in connection to the fatal shooting of a special needs teenager reported Tuesday in the parking lot of a local business, the agency said late Tuesday.

Gerard K. Brister, 35, of Brookhaven has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct, Roswell police spokesperson Sgt. Zachary Frommer said. Brister was the driver and caretaker of a group of boys and young men with developmental disabilities going on a camping trip organized by Tucker-based My Buddy and 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. An investigation reveals Brister went inside the business, and left six teens and young men inside an SUV. 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 17-year-old Zachary Chambless of Dunwoody, Sgt. Frommer added.

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.

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Sgt. Frommer said the shooting was accident. However, due to the nature of the incident and number of victims, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office may pursue additional reckless conduct charges. Brister will be transported to the Fulton County Jail.

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