Bruce Reginald Foster III, the man at the center of the New Albany mass shooting case, is set to undergo a second mental competency evaluation. The decision came after a Licking County courtroom hearing, where prosecutors voiced a preference for another professional opinion before proceeding with the trial. Foster is accused of shooting six people, two fatally, on February 4 at the KDC/One warehouse. His legal counsel presented an initial mental health evaluation,which highlighted the need for his hospitalization before any trial to ensure meaningful participation in the legal process. WBNS reported this.

Different forensic psychiatrists are expected to deliver this second evaluation in a similar timeframe as the first, which was completed within thirty days. Foster's first evaluation found that he was not competent to stand trial, a decision yet to be officially ruled on by a judge. "The competency report is the medical report that says at this point, hospitalization is needed before we can have a meaningful procedure in the court," defense attorney Brandon Shroy told, 10TV. Despite previous pink slips, where Foster had been temporarily hospitalized due to concerns about his behavior, he was still able to purchase a firearm legally.

Following the first evaluation, Licking County Prosecutor Jenny Wells agreed to its admittance but requested a second evaluation, which the judge granted. "The state would stipulate to the miscibility of this report," Wells said, according to NBC4i. If both evaluations align, it could lead to Foster spending up to one year in a medical rehabilitation center to restore his competency to face trial. Shroy appeared resolute, expressing to NBC4i, "Everybody on the defense side thinks that one evaluation was sufficient and that we’ve got a finding that really reflects what’s going on here." He purportedly did not object to a second opinion.

While Foster remains in Licking County jail, additional charges related to the February 4 shooting may be considered by a grand jury in connection with the death of 30-year-old Shekhar Chapagai. According to a report by Newark Advocate, the prosecutors charged Foster with aggravated murder, pointing to the deaths of Chapagai as well as 38-year-old Kyle Vaver, another victim of the shooting, after Foster's Feb. 5 arrest, and the court has set his bond at $20 million. The accused did not speak during his most recent hearing but afterward declared his innocence.