Asked by a Norwich detective how he felt about the fatal shooting of Donna Richardson at the Mai Thai Restaurant on June 24, 2012, accused killer David Grant responded that, "It ain't nothing to be proud of."

A jury at Grant's murder trial in New London Superior Court on Thursday watched the remainder of the two-hour interrogation conducted by Norwich Police Detective Christopher Conley, who has since been promoted to sergeant, in December 2012.

Grant was arrested in Baltimore six months after he allegedly shot into a crowd at closing time, killing 45-year-old Donna Richardson and wounding her adult niece, Crystal Roderick.

During the interrogation, Grant admitted he fired the gun after seeing Isaiah "Zay" Lee, who he said shot an acquaintance, in the crowd. Grant told the detective he had been shot recently and was "trying to stay out of being shot again."

As he and Steven "Cuda" Velez were driving from the scene toward Brooklyn, N.Y., their hometown, Velez received a phone call from somebody who told him two people had been hit. Grant said he felt bad when he learned that Richardson had died.

"I really didn't know the lady," he said. Grant did know Roderick, the other victim, and had exchanged phone numbers with her earlier that night, according to testimony.

Prosecutor Stephen M. Carney was expected to rest his case against Grant Thursday afternoon after calling witnesses from the state's forensic laboratory. It is unclear whether defense attorney Sebastian O. DeSantis will call witnesses, although he told Judge Barbara Bailey Jongloed Thursday that he wants her to instruct the jury to consider "lesser included" or reduced charges when they begin to deliberate.

Grant is charged with murder, first-degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm. In opting for a trial, he rejected the state's offer to plead guilty in exchange for a 45-year prison sentence.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN