Austin David Thompson pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder for a 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh that killed five people, prosecutors say.
An 18-year-old admitted Wednesday to carrying out a 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina, which killed five people – including his older brother and a police officer – pleading guilty to murder and multiple other charges just days before trial.
Thompson was 15 when prosecutors say he opened fire in his Raleigh neighborhood, killing Thompson’s brother James Thompson, along with 52-year-old Nicole Connors, 29-year-old Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, 34-year-old Mary Marshall and 49-year-old Susan Karnatz. He had been scheduled to face a state murder trial later this month before changing his plea.
Thompson’s lawyers announced Tuesday that he would plead guilty to all charges after months of pretrial motions seeking to restrict what evidence and testimony prosecutors could present. In court filings, his attorneys said avoiding a trial would „save the community and the victims from as much additional infliction of trauma as possible.“
Wearing a quarter-zip sweater and slacks, Thompson offered few words as Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway questioned him and formally accepted the guilty pleas.
Ridgeway scheduled sentencing for Feb. 2, a hearing expected to span several days. Thompson and his attorney confirmed no plea deal was reached with prosecutors.
Because Thompson was a minor at the time of the shootings, he is not eligible for the death penalty.
