John Brian Collar, 39, of 315 Rocky Springs Road, is accused of firing a rifle at Sajjad Ahmed Raja, Grove City, around 1 a.m. Nov. 22, 2000 at a Citgo convenience store in Barkeyville, which Raja owns.

Collar's attorney, Jack W. Cline of Mercer, filed four motions Monday, including the notice that he plans to use the insanity defense.

Collar's preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 19 in Venango County Court of Common Pleas.

Collar's family members have said that grief over his mother's death may have pushed him over the edge.

Generally a notice of insanity defense is filed when the defendant plans to defend at trial on the basis of insanity, according to the Mercer County District Attorney's Office.

Collar was charged Nov. 22 by state police in Franklin with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief.

The shot allegedly fired by Collar narrowly missed Raja, who was treated at United Community Hospital in Pine Township for cuts he suffered from shards of glass.

Police believe Collar targeted Raja, who is Pakistani, because of his ethnic descent. According to the probable cause affidavit, Collar told police he "was watching those guys for a couple months" and used an ethnic slur.

Raja is an American citizen.

Two messages left with Cline by the Herald were not returned.