CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Investigator: Kia shooting suspect had mental health history, reported bullying

LaGrange Daily News (GA) - 5/22/2015

May 22--A former Kia assembly plant employee accused of shooting a co-worker in April had a history of mental illness and was being "picked on" at work prior to the shooting, a police investigator testified Thursday.

The alleged shooter, Gabriel Raines, 38, of Newnan, appeared in Troup County Magistrate Court for a probable cause hearing and was ordered held at the Troup County Jail as his case heads to Superior Court.

Shannon Bavaro, an investigator with West Point police, testified that prior to the shooting, Raines told supervisors at the plant his coworkers were harassing him on the job. She told the court she wasn't sure if the victim, 28-year-old Gary Swanson, was named in the harassment complaints, but the two did work together on the main assembly line at the plant. Swanson was shot in the leg, according to police, but survived.

The Daily News contacted Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia on Thursday for comment but did not receive a response by press time today.

Bavaro also testified that Raines had been on medical leave for mental health issues and had been cleared by a psychiatrist to return to work one or two days prior to the shooting.

"Are you aware of other kinds of complaints that Mr. Raines made, such as people implanting things in his head and listening to his thoughts?" asked Raines' Atlanta-based attorney, Barry Hazen.

"I am aware of that now," Bavaro answered. "We received a report from Newnan police and also from his wife that night. She advised me that he was making those kinds of complaints. Newnan police has a report that indicates he was making those kind of complaints."

Bavaro testified that investigators believe Raines fired a single bullet into Swanson's leg before walking out of the plant and waiting for police.

"According to the witnesses, he calmly walked out of the building, and walked outside through what they described as the glass double doors, and walked down one of the sidewalks and just sat there," Bavaro said. "Two individuals were able to talk him into handing over the gun."

The incident was not captured on video and no eyewitnesses directly saw the shooting, Bavaro said.

Police recovered the handgun, which was purchased in late 2014 at a Newnan pawn shop, according to Bavaro's testimony. Investigators also found prescription medication in Raines' car, but Bavaro was unable to specifically identify it on the witness stand.

Bavaro said investigators are not sure what lead up to the shooting.

"There were no words exchanged that day, as far as I know, nobody brought that up," Bavaro testified. "He was involved in an altercation with co-workers, but I don't know that it was these co-workers. I have not been able to get that information yet."

After his arrest, Raines was taken to the Troup County Jail and interviewed by investigators with the sheriff's office. He is being held there without bond. His case now heads to Superior Court. Raines is charged with one count each of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Reach Tyler H. Jones at 706-884-7311, ext. 2155.

___

(c)2015 the LaGrange Daily News (LaGrange, Ga.)

Visit the LaGrange Daily News (LaGrange, Ga.) at www.lagrangenews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.