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American Morning

Jurors in Teacher Shooting Trial to See Videotape of Crime

Aired May 03, 2001 - 11:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now to West Palm Beach, Florida where jurors today were scheduled to watch a videotape of last year's fatal shooting of a middle school teacher. Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazill is accused of gunning down his English teacher on the last day of school last year. We get the latest now on the trial from CNN's Mark Potter, who is in West Palm Beach -- Mark, good morning again.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. The trial has been underway for a couple of hours right now. There have been a number of witnesses, including a teacher who said on the day of shooting he heard and shot and then he saw Nathaniel carrying a gun run from the scene.

Now, in the courtroom right now, the jurors have been looking at crime scene photos that have been taken by an investigator named Ralph Rinaldi (ph). That's him standing next to the prosecutor, Marc Shiner.

Now, Nathaniel Brazill himself is facing first degree murder charges for shooting to death his teacher Barry Grunow in Lake Worth last year. The prosecution said the shooting was intentional. The defense says the gun went off accidentally.

Another witness today, 19-year-old Brandon Spann, a neighbor said just before the shooting, hours before the shooting, Nathaniel approached him asking to a gun to use at the school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRANDON SPANN, WITNESS: He said he was going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up the school.

MARC SHINER, PROSECUTOR: Did you ask him why he said that?

SPANN: Yes.

SHINER: What did he say?

SPANN: He got suspended for throwing water balloons.

SHINER: And what did you say to him after that?

SPANN: Nothing I just -- nothing. That's it.

SHINER: Did you tell him you had a gun?

SPANN: No, I told him I didn't have no gun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, in its cross-examination, the defense tried to diminish all that saying that Nathaniel often kidded around. And in his examination of the witness, attorney Robert Udell got Mr. Spann to agree that he didn't take Nathaniel's request for a gun seriously either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPANN: I thought he was playing because him?

ROBERT UDELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Him what?

SPANN: Not him, Nate.

UDELL: Not Nate asking for a gun, right?

SPANN: Yes.

UDELL: That was totally inconsistent with anything you ever knew about him, right?

SPANN: Yes.

UDELL: And he didn't appear to be mad to you, right?

SPANN: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, all of this is important because the prosecution is trying to convince the jury that Nathaniel killed Mr. Grunow in anger. The defense, however, said that he had high regard for his teacher and that he did not intend to harm him, and that it was all just a tragic mistake.

Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Mark Potter in West Palm Beach, thank you.

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