Raleigh 2022 Mass Shooter Austin Thompson Pleads Guilty to Five Murders

Austin David Thompson, now 18, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Wake County Superior Court to five counts of first-degree murder and several related charges for a 2022 shooting rampage in Raleigh, North Carolina, that killed his 16-year-old brother, off-duty Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, and three other neighbors. Thompson, who was 15 at the time and therefore ineligible for the death penalty, entered the guilty pleas without any agreement from prosecutors, setting up a Feb. 2 sentencing hearing at which Judge Paul Ridgeway can impose either life in prison without parole or a sentence that allows parole eligibility after at least 25 years, in line with recent North Carolina appellate limits for juvenile offenders. Prosecutors said in court that Thompson first shot and repeatedly stabbed his brother James in their Hedingham home, then shot and killed neighbor Nicole Connors and Officer Torres on a nearby street, wounded another neighbor, and later fatally shot Mary Marshall and Susan Karnatz on a greenway trail before wounding another officer in an hourslong standoff. The hearing shed little light on motive; prosecutors cited online searches about mass shootings and a note in which Thompson acknowledged why he killed his brother but did not publicly reveal its contents, while his lawyers say a self-inflicted gunshot wound caused a serious brain injury that now prevents him from explaining his actions. Families of the victims, including Marshall’s fiancé, said they believe a life-without-parole sentence is appropriate, arguing that deliberately killing five people and attempting to kill two more warrants the harshest punishment available under state law for a juvenile. The case underscores ongoing national debates over how the justice system should handle juveniles who commit mass shootings, particularly when brain injuries or mental-health issues are present but the crimes are carefully carried out and devastating.