Bruce Foster III, the Columbus man charged with killing two co-workers and wounding four others in the Feb. 4, 2025, mass shooting at the KDC/One warehouse in New Albany, is on trial in Licking County Common Pleas Court, according to 10TV.

The bench trial began Aug. 18, before Judge David Branstool. Foster has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

He faces murder charges.

The shooting killed Shakhar Chapaghi and Kyle Vaver, both Tri-Tech Laboratories employees who had been invited to the KDC/One facility that day. Four others were injured, including Govin Sharma and Sagar Wagley, who also worked for Tri-Tech.

Foster worked on a Tri-Tech quality assurance team at the warehouse, which sits in the Licking County portion of New Albany. That jurisdictional detail is why the criminal case landed in Licking County rather than Franklin County.

Before the shooting

A New Albany police incident report released Feb. 6, 2025, detailed witnesses saying Foster was "acting strangely" before the shooting, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

A civil lawsuit filed in February 2026 on behalf of the victims' families painted a fuller picture. The suit, reported by WOSU, alleged that security company Aegis Protective Services allowed Foster to enter the warehouse with a handgun while intoxicated and that no metal detectors or screening devices were in place. The lawsuit also alleged Foster had exhibited erratic behavior, talked to himself and made violent threats at work before the shooting. Tri-Tech had planned to fire Foster and had already posted his position, the suit claimed.

The families filed against KDC/One, Aegis Protective Services and Foster, seeking at least $25,000 in compensatory damages plus punitive damages.

Competency battle preceded trial

The trial was delayed by months of competency proceedings. In September 2025, Central Ohio Behavioral Healthcare evaluated Foster and found him competent to stand trial. Defense attorney Brandon Shroy requested a second evaluation in October 2025. Dr. Delaney Smith, contracting with Central Ohio Behavioral Healthcare, also testified that Foster was competent during an Oct. 27, 2025, hearing, WOSU reported. Judge Branstool made the final competency ruling before the trial moved forward.

What's ahead

The bench trial has been underway for a week. Specific testimony and evidence presented during the proceedings have not been made public through accessible court records. Because Foster waived his right to a jury, Judge Branstool alone will determine the verdict, which could come as early as Aug. 25, though no official timeline has been confirmed by the court.