MORGANTOWN — A jury trial for a man who allegedly threatened to commit a mass shooting at WVU began Wednesday.
Zachary Ryan Johnson was indicted by the May 2019 grand jury on two counts of making terroristic threats.
He is accused of having made the comments in August 2018 — first on Snapchat and, then the next day, in class at the WVU School of Dentistry, said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Robert Zak.
A jury was selected Wednesday morning. Zak asked if the potential jurors would be able to listen to only the evidence presented before making their judgement and one woman said she thought she’d already made up her mind. She was excused.
Defense Attorney Mark Gaydos asked if recent events, referring to shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, would influence any of the potential jurors. One man said it was hard to say if he could remain unbiased without knowing the facts of the case. Gaydos agreed it was a big ask for jurors to remain impartial.
After a jury was selected, Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Gaujot gave the jury their initial instructions and took a vote from the jury, which decided to go to lunch early.
Opening statements will begin after lunch.
