By Jeff Hamlin
Assistant News Director

The latest testimony from the Alvaro Castillo murder trial included videotapes of Castillo from three years ago talking into a camera explaining why he was planning a gunfire attack on Orange High School.

The footage was shown during day four of Castillo’s murder trial in Orange County District Court.

Those videotapes were originally mailed to the offices of the Chapel Hill News on East Franklin Street in August 2006, just days after Castillo allegedly murdered his father. Later that day, police say Castillo carried out his planned attack on Orange High, firing several shots from guns he purchased over the internet before being wrestled down by school resource officer London Ivey and others.

The videotapes were shown one day after excerpts of Castillo’s journal were read aloud in court. Just as he did in the journal, Castillo spoke fondly of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the gunmen behind the Columbine massacre in 1999.

Castillo talked of carrying out a similar massacre at Orange, except he didn’t view it as murder, but as sacrifice.

In testimony on Wednesday, Orange County investigator Rick Smith talked about traveling in the same car as Castillo after he was arrested. Smith said Castillo constantly tried to wrap a seatbelt around his neck in a suicide attempt.