Man sent to psychiatric hospital after 2010 mass shooting

Man sent to psychiatric hospital after 2010 mass shooting


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MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — A man accused of killing four people and wounding a fifth in a 2010 Georgia workplace mass shooting has been involuntarily committed to a prison psychiatric hospital after doctors said he has refused to take anti-psychotic medications.

Jesse James Warren, of Temple, Georgia, opened fire at a Penske truck-leasing facility in Kennesaw on Jan. 12, 2010, Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds said in a news release Tuesday. Three men were killed the day of the shooting, while a fourth succumbed to his injuries three years later. Another person was injured but survived the attack, which occurred about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta.

Investigators described Warren, 67, as a disgruntled ex-employee.

Psychiatrists determined that Warren is not competent to stand trial. At a hearing Tuesday, two forensic psychiatrists from Georgia Regional Hospital testified that Warren still won't take medication for his disorder and is a danger to the community.

The doctors also testified that Warren continues to believe that he invented Wi-Fi for the military, was paid $500 million by the government, and that Penske stole much of that money. The doctors said he also believes his defense attorneys — and, at times, his doctors — are working against him.

Warren perceives threats where there are none and could react violently to those perceived threats without the structure and security of a hospital setting, they testified.

One doctor testified that Warren has suffered delusions since at least 2005, when he was first diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Warren's defense team, led by Gerald Word and Jimmy Berry, offered no rebuttal evidence and did not object to the state's request for civil commitment.

Warren, who has been in custody since his arrest the day of the attack, did not speak during the hearing.

Reynold's office said Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark reviewed all of the documents before signing the order to commit Warren to a secure state prison hospital indefinitely. His psychiatrist will report to the court at least once each year regarding Warren's mental condition.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Jesse Evans acknowledges this is not the final resolution he would have liked.

"However, we take some solace in the fact that Mr. Warren will be locked up in a prison hospital and not able to inflict these kinds of harms on anyone else," Evans told the court.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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