Police reported that a man shot and wounded five people in Alabama and Georgia because he was targeting white men, according to the Associated Press.
Detective Brandon Lockhart said Justin Tyran Roberts, who is Black, said his alleged attack was racially motivated, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
“Basically, he explained throughout his life, specifically white males had taken from him, and also what he described as military-looking white males had taken from him,” Lockhart reportedly testified.
Roberts is being accused of shooting five people in Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama. Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon said all victims are expected to recover from injuries and that they found no connections between Roberts and his alleged victims. Lockhart claimed that Roberts, who appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing on one of the incidents, said that men were “shooting at him in a wooded area with a slingshot.” Roberts’ case has probable cause to head over to Muscogee Superior Court, Judge Julius Hunter shared.
“The officer’s testimony has demonstrated that Mr. Roberts is having delusions and a disconnect from reality,” public defender Robin King told the judge when requesting a mental health evaluation.
As for the timeline of shootings, one victim was injured Friday at a hotel in Phenix City, three people were shot in Columbus three hours later, and another person was shot on Saturday.
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