Suspect in I-40 shootings committed for mental health care, incapable of proceeding with trial

The person charged with a series of shootings along Interstate 40 in Raleigh last fall won't stand trial until they have been treated for schizophrenia. A judge on Monday ordered Andrew Graney committed to Central Regional Hospital, ruled Graney "incapable to proceed" and effectively postponed any possible trial.

Police allege Graney is the person who fired on cars and homes along Interstate 40 south of downtown Raleigh over four days in November 2024, injuring one woman.

>> Timeline: Cars and homes hit by gunfire over 4 days in Raleigh

He is charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with the intent to kill or inflict serious injury and 11 counts of firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle or dwelling. The first charge carries a mandatory jail sentence.

He has been in custody since his arrest. “This is one of those cases that put fear in the heart of the entire community,” District Judge Debra Sasser said.

A doctor determined that Graney "suffers from inadequately treated schizophrenia." Court documents also show Graney has had multiple instances of self-harm while in custody. 

Graney's mental health came into question within hours of his arrest. Mother Treka Graney told WRAL News she did not recognize the person in the mug shot, saying, "This is not my son."

She described Andrew Graney as an Eagle Scout and a "straight A kid."

"I was so proud of him, and I still am very proud of him," she said. "I have no idea really still what's going on."

In interviews, Andrew Graney claimed to have been given diagnoses of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and ADHD after seeking mental health support when he got to North Carolina State University.

At the time of his arrest, Andrew Graney was a senior at NC State, majoring in anthropology. The order for Graney's commitment notes, "He was a senior at NC State when symptoms of psychosis caused him to drop out of school and require hospitalization three times prior to his 2024 arrest."

Two students who were college friends with Graney told WRAL News that their concerns prompted them to refer Graney to the campus resource for students in crisis.

One said Graney was "saying things that didn't make sense ... would send long messages in group chat ... believed he was unlocking all these secrets to the universe."

She and another student reported their concerns to NC State Cares, a program that supports students in crisis or who have been referred as exhibiting concerning or worrisome behavior and whose behavior does not indicate a direct threat of harm to the NC State community.

Graney's medical records show a six-day involuntary commitment to Holly Hill psychiatric hospital in February 2024.

After his arrest in November 2024, Graney told a doctor, "I hear voices all the time." 

Since that time, Graney has been subject to medical and therapeutic interventions, records show.

By May 2025, the evaluating forensic psychiatrist wrote:

"Graney's symptoms of severe mental illness interfere with his ability to comprehend court proceedings and assist in his defense in a rational and reasonable manner. Because of inadequately treated schizophrenia Graney is viewed incapable of proceeding to trial. 

Graney, she wrote, "demonstrated ongoing, severe and self-injurious behavior."

The psychiatrist recommended Graney be committed for inpatient treatment.