SALISBURY — The man charged with killing a Salisbury convenience store owner says he wants to tell the victim's family that he's sorry.

Christopher Lee Watson told a judge Thursday that he wants to apologize. The 23-year-old Watson is accused of being the gunman in the death of Hecham Abualeinan, who was shot to death during a robbery Monday at the Z&H Mart.

Also charged are 33-year-old Maurice Alexander Robinson and 20-year-old Kevin Lamont Canzator. Police say they bought items at the store and left just seconds before the gunman entered.

The three appeared consecutively on a closed-circuit television feed from the adjacent Rowan County jail. All three were given court-appointed attorneys and are scheduled to be in court Jan. 9 for a probable cause hearing.