By Joe Johnson A Gwinnett County man this week pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to murder a University of Georgia student when he shot the victim during an attempted robbery at a bus stop near campus in April.
At his arraignment Wednesday in Clarke County Superior Court, 20-year-old Zarren Rasool Alexander Garner pleaded not guilty to criminal attempt to commit murder, armed robbery, four counts of aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to court records.
Athens-Clarke County police said the incident occurred April 22, when Garner allegedly robbed at gunpoint a cellphone from a UGA student at Milledge Place Apartments.
A short time later, police said that Garner assaulted Tate Prezzano, a 22-year-old UGA junior and lacrosse player from Alpharetta while the student was waiting for a bus near his apartment in the 2100 block of South Milledge Avenue. Garner allegedly shot Prezzano multiple times in the head and neck area during an attempt to steal the victim’s Air Pods, according to police.
The indictment notes that the laser sights of Garner's gun were activated during both incidents.
The first student was not injured and Spezzano was release from the hospital nearly a week after he was shot with expectations he would make a full recovery.
Local police and Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agents arrested Garner the day after the armed robbery and shooting at his mother’s house near Grayson.
Garner was being held without bail at the Clarke County Jail.
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