An 18-year-old confessed on Wednesday to executing a deadly mass shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2022, which claimed the lives of five individuals, including his older brother and a police officer. The admission comes just days before the start of his trial.
According to the Associated Press, Austin David Thompson pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder. In addition, he faced two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assaulting an officer with a firearm.
Thompson, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, allegedly opened fire in his neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of his brother James Thompson, 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 slated to go on trial for these state murder charges later this month before opting to change his plea.
On Tuesday, Thompson’s legal team revealed his intention to plead guilty to all charges. This decision followed months of pretrial motions aimed at limiting the evidence and testimonies that prosecutors could present. His attorneys argued that forgoing a trial would “spare the community and the victims from further trauma.”
Austin Thompson appeared in Wake County Superior Court on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to be sworn in during the hearing. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
In the courtroom, dressed in a quarter-zip sweater and slacks, Thompson spoke minimally as Judge Paul Ridgeway of Wake County Superior Court questioned him and accepted his 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. Ridgeway could impose life sentences without parole, though state law also allows for sentences that make him eligible for parole after at least 25 years. A recent ruling by state appeals judges capped the amount of time juvenile offenders must serve before becoming eligible for parole at 40 years.
Defense attorney Kellie Mannette touches Austin Thompson’s shoulder during a hearing in Wake County Superior Court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
The case was delayed while Thompson recovered from a gunshot wound that Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman has said was self-inflicted before his arrest, an injury his attorneys contend caused significant brain damage.
In court, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Latour outlined the evidence prosecutors would have presented at trial, describing the sequence of events on Oct. 13, 2022.
Latour said Thompson first shot and then repeatedly stabbed James inside the family’s home in the Hedingham neighborhood. Prosecutors said Thompson then moved through the neighborhood armed with a shotgun and a handgun, killing Connors and then Torres. Another neighbor was wounded and survived.
Raleigh Police Department Officer Gabriel Torres, who was fatally shot in an Oct. 13, 2022, mass shooting. (Fox News Channel)
Authorities said Thompson later continued the attack on a nearby greenway trail, where he fatally shot Marshall and Karnatz.
Police said officers eventually located Thompson near McConnell Oliver Drive, where he opened fire, wounding Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark. Multiple officers returned fire, discharging about 23 rounds before Thompson was placed in handcuffs.
“At the time, he was wearing camouflage clothing and a backpack, and a handgun was in his waistband. The backpack contained various items, including several types of shotgun/rifle ammunition. A sheath for a large knife was found clipped to his belt, and a large hunting knife was found at the front of the outbuilding. A shotgun and shotgun shells were lying on the ground near him,” Raleigh Police Chief Estella D. Patterson said in a report at the time.
Tears well in Tracey Howard’s eyes as he hears a prosecutor describe his wife Nicole Connors’ murder during a hearing in Wake County Superior Court on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
Wednesday’s hearing offered few new details about Thompson’s motive. His attorneys wrote this week that a brain injury suffered during the case has left him unable to explain why he carried out the shootings.
Latour said a note written by Thompson addressed why he killed his brother, but the contents were not disclosed in court and were ordered sealed. Latour also said investigators recovered records showing Thompson searched online for information about mass shootings and related topics, evidence the defense said could be challenged at sentencing.
Robert Steele, the fiancé of Marshall, said after the hearing that Thompson should be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
“That’s justice,” Steele said. “He took five people’s lives; he tried to take two others.”
In 2024, Thompson’s father pleaded guilty to improperly storing a handgun authorities said was found with his son after the attack and received a suspended sentence and probation.
Investigators also seized 11 firearms and 160 boxes of ammunition – some of them empty – from the Thompson home, according to search warrants. Latour said Thompson and his family were avid hunters.
