CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Trystan Terrell has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges during a court appearance Thursday afternoon.

The conditions of the plea include life imprisonment without the possibility of parole as well as an additional 157-201 months in prison. The defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, and discharging a firearm on educational property. The state decided to drop the four assault charges.

Terrell, 23, is accused of opening fire in a university building in April. Two students, Riley Howell and Ellis Reed, were killed and four others were hurt. A grand jury previously indicted Terrell on two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder and several other weapons charges.

Riley Howell (L) and Ellis Reed (R)

Reed's family, as well as other victims' families, were also in the courtroom when Terrell made his plea. 

"His life was ended by a selfish cowardly waste of a human being. May he rot in hell and experience torture every day until you're dead," Reed's mother Julie Parlier said. 

The university's chancellor, Philip Dubois released a statement about the plea agreement saying it, "allows our community to continue healing and brings a definite end to the criminal proceedings."

Prosecutors detailed Terrell's confession, telling the police the pressure from dropping out of UNC Charlotte added with the financial burden of student debt caused him to fire 17 shots from a 9 mm inside an anthropology class where he studied. He told police it was a cry for help.

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Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merrierweather says the plea deal may not bring closure, but it does bring certainty and he released a statement.

A family member of one of the victims previously went on social media saying they are angry that the district attorney had offered a plea deal, but the District Attorney's office did not confirm that information to Spectrum News at that time. However, surviving victim Drew Pescaro, had written a letter saying he met with the DA Wednesday and expressed his concerns about how the case is being handled.

Pescaro says he’s disappointed after having met with the DA.

"I feel that the DA’s office did not properly represent us victims.... I truly feel let down by the DA’s office and how they went about handling the case. Justice is not being served in my eyes and it will never be viewed that way with how this case was handled,” he said.