FACE-TO-FACE.
THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT
6:00.
TONIGHT, JUSTICE FOR TWO
INNOCENT LIVES LOST ON THE
CAMPUS OF UNC CHARLOTTE.
FOUR MONTHS AFTER THE SHOOTING
THE GUNMAN IS NOW A CONVICTED
MURDER AND NOW WILL SPEND THE
REST OF HIS LIFE BEHIND BARS.
BUT NOT BEFORE HEARING POWERFUL
WORDS FROM HIS VICTIM'S
PARENTS.
IF THE DEFENDANT WANTED TO
KILL SOMEONE HE SHOULD OF
TURNED THE GUN ON HIMSELF.
TONIGHT, A TEAM OF REPORTERS
LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE COURTHOUSE
AS THE HEARING JUST ENDED IN
THE PAST TWO HOURS.
FIRST OFF TONIGHT, VETERAN
CRIME REPORTER MARK BECKER, WHO
WAS INSIDE OF THE COURTROOM FOR
TODAY'S TEARFUL TESTIMONY,
MARK?
Reporter: THERE WAS NOTHING
EASY ABOUT TODAY.
MOST DIFFICULT FOR THE FAMILIES
OF THOSE FOUR YOUNG STUDENTS
WHO WERE INJURED AND THE TWO
WHO WERE KILLED.
THE DOORS OPENED AT 3:00 AND 50
OR SO FAMILY AND FRIENDS FILED
INTO ONE SIDE OF THE COURTROOM,
HERE, THEN AT PRECISELY 3:02,
DEPUTIES LED TRYSTAN TERRELL
INTO THE COURTROOM IN SHACKLES.
HE WOULD SIT QUIETLY AS THE
PROSECUTOR WENT OVER THE
SHOOTING.
TERRELL FIRST CONSIDERED A MASS
SHOOTING AS FAR BACK AS LAST
AUGUST AND HE FINALLY DECIDED
TO DO THE SHOOTING ABOUT A WEEK
BEFORE HE ACTUALLY TOOK THE
LIGHT RAIL TO UNC CHARLOTTE ON
APRIL 30th.
HE PICKED OUT A CLASS ROOM IN
THE KENNEDY BUILDING SIMPLY
BECAUSE HE KNEW THE LAYOUT OF
THE CLASS ROOM.
NOT TARGETING ANYONE IN
PARTICULAR WHEN HE WALKED INTO
THAT CLASSROOM AND STARTING
SHOOTING ABOUT 5:45 THAT
AFTERNOON.
HE KILLED 19-YEAR-OLD ELLIS
PARLIER AND RILEY HOWELL AND
BOTH MOTHERS TALKED.
REED WAS A LOVING,
INTELLIGENT, KIND, CARING SOUL.
HIS LIFE WAS ENDED BY A SELFISH
COWARD HUMAN BEING.
I WANT THE DEFENDANT TO KNOW
THAT, THOUGH WE HAVE NO RIGHT,
HE HURT AND DAMAGED PHYSICALLY
AND EMOTIONALLY MY FAMILY AND
OTHERS THAT RILEY'S AND REED'S
LOVE IS WHAT REMAINS SUPREME IN
OUR HEARTS.
Reporter: THE FAMILIES WERE
VERY UPSET AND LEFT WITHOUT
SPEAKING WITH US.
BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL STUDENTS
FROM UNC CHARLOTTE WHO WERE
ALSO IN THE COURTROOM THIS
AFTERNOON AND THEY DID SPEAK
WITH EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER
TINA TERRY AS THEY LEFT.
TINA?
Reporter: YES, THEY DID,
MARK.
MANY OF THEM BEING HERE AND
INSIDE OF THAT COURTROOM WAS
PART OF THE HEALING PROCESS.
ONE STUDENT, SAMANTHA SAYS SHE
STILL VIVIDLY REMEMBERS THE DAY
WHEN THAT SHOOTER WALKED INSIDE
OF THE KENNEDY BUILDING ON UNC
CHARLOTTE CAMPUS AND STARTED
SHOOTING.
SHE WAS INSIDE THAT VERY SAME
BUILDING AND SCRAMBLED TO FIND
A PLACE TO HIDE, HOPING THAT IT
WOULD ALL END.
SINCE THE SHOOTING, SHE HAS
GRADUATED AND SHE HAS TAKEN HER
VERY FIRST JOB BUT SHE WILL
NEVER FORGET THAT DAY.
I WAS GETTING PHONE CALLS
AND TEXT MESSAGES OF MY FRIENDS
THAT WERE SCARED AND DID NOT
KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING --
[CRYING]
AND MY PARENTS AND FAMILY THAT
LIVE OUT OF TOWN WERE CALLING
ME ASKING ME IF I WAS ALIVE.
[CRYING]
SO -- IT WAS --
TRAUMATIZE.
IT IS REALLY TRAUMATIZING.
I THOUGHT IT WAS AN OBVIOUSLY
-- OBLIGATION TO SEE HAD T
THROUGH TO THE END WITH HIM.
SHE WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY
THE PLEA AGREEMENT.
SHE WAS SURPRISED BY IT.
SHE WAS NOT HAPPY WITH IT BUT
SHE UNDERSTANDS IT, AND LIKE SO
MANY STUDENTS WHO EXPERIENCE
THIS TRAGEDY SHE IS READY TO
MOVE FORWARD.
BACK TO YOU GUYS.
ALL RIGHT, SUCH A SAD DAY.
HOPEFULLY SOME CLOSURE FOR SO
MANY PEOPLE, THANK YOU, TINA.
BEFORE BAILIFFS LED HIM AWAY HE
HAD THESE WORDS.
I AM SO SORRY TO EVERYONE.
I REALLY MESSED UP.
SAYING THERE THAT HE IS SO
SORRY AND HE MESSED UP.
LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER
THE TWO YOUNG LIVES THAT WERE
LOST THAT DAY.
REED PARLIER'S FAMILY SAYS HE
WAS QUIET AND EXCEPTIONAL AND
BRILLIANT.
RILEY HOWELL HE LOVED FITNESS
AND SUPER HEROS AND MANY SAY HE
DIED AS A HERO, TACKLING
TERRELL THAT DAY.
BOTH FAMILIES ARE DEVELOPING