Former Auburn University football players Eric Mack and DeAngelo Benton were called to the witness stand yesterday for the Desmonte Leonard murder trial.
Leonard is on trial for the capital murder of former Auburn football players Ladarious Phillips, Ed Christian, and DeMario Pitts.
Leonard is also being charged with attempted murder and assault due to the injuries caused by the shooting to Mack, Xavier Moss and John Robertson.
Both the district attorney Robert Treese and defense attorney Susan James focused on an altercation that happened at University Heights the day of the shootings.
Each witness was individually asked to watch video surveillance from the night of the shooting, to identify specific people during the incident.
Benton said that he could feel somebody staring at him at the party, so he took him outside to "have words with him." The person he felt staring at him was Leonard.
Mack also joined him outside with Leonard to calm Benton down.
"We were approaching him about what he was staring at," Benton said.
Benton was also shown on tape having an argument with a female, whose name he could not remember, or the reason why they were arguing. "I guess I was telling her to get out of my face," Benton said.
Benton said they had been drinking alcoholic Jell-O shots at the party, but that he was not intoxicated.
When James asked if he had been smoking spice, Benton said he had not been.
After Benton and Mack went outside with Leonard, Mack then restrained Benton against a wall to calm him down when they were outside.
Turquorius Vines and DeMario Pitts also spoke to Benton.
"No physical fight or anything had started," Benton said.
Treese asked Benton if he then heard anything unusual, and Benton eventually replied that he had heard a few shots being fired.
Mack was shot from behind, and said that he didn't see who the shooter was. "Some shots were fired," Mack said. "I didn't realize I was hit. Everything after that was a blur."
As soon as Benton heard the first shot, he said he ran for the bushes and down Longleaf Drive.
He did not call the police, but returned to the scene 5-15 minutes later.
Benton said he did not see who shot the gun either.
The District Attorneys called forensic scientists to the stand to question what the chain of command for some of the evidence was, and to ask how it was processed.
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