An 18-year-old man plans to plead guilty to a 2022 mass shooting in North Carolina that left five people dead, including his older brother, his lawyers said Tuesday. The plea will allow him to avoid a trial scheduled for next month.
Austin Thompson’s attorneys filed a notice in Wake County court saying their client intends to plead guilty to all charges. A hearing had been set for Wednesday ahead of the Feb. 2 trial.
Thompson was 15 when the shootings occurred on Oct. 13, 2022. Authorities say the rampage began in his Raleigh neighborhood with his 16-year-old brother. His attorneys said Thompson wants to spare the community and the victims’ families further trauma.
Thompson’s legal case was delayed partly because he recovered from a gunshot wound that prosecutors believe was self-inflicted before his arrest. His lawyers say the injury caused a brain injury.
Prosecutors have not publicly revealed a motive for the shootings. They had planned to argue in court that Thompson’s actions were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel” and that he tried to avoid capture.
Thompson’s attorneys said that due to his brain injury, he cannot fully explain why he committed the shootings, but has accepted responsibility.
He faces five counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault on an officer with a gun. Because he was a minor at the time, he cannot face the death penalty. The judge will decide whether to sentence him to life without parole or life with the possibility of parole after at least 25 years.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman confirmed awareness of the plea notice, saying prosecutors are prepared to move forward and expressing sympathy for the victims’ families.
Investigators say Thompson fatally shot and stabbed his brother, James, at their home. Police also say he shot neighbors in the Hedingham community, killing off-duty Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, 29, and Nicole Connors, 52. One neighbor survived after being wounded.
Authorities also allege Thompson fatally shot two others, Mary Marshall, 34, and Susan Karnatz, 49, on the nearby Neuse River Greenway trail.
Thompson was found in a nearby shed, wearing camouflage and armed with multiple weapons. He was arrested after a standoff that left another officer wounded.
Last year, his attorneys had planned to use defenses citing “diminished capacity” and “voluntary intoxication from prescribed medication.”
In a related case, Thompson’s father pleaded guilty in 2024 to improperly storing a handgun that was found with his son after the shootings. He received probation and a suspended sentence.
Investigators seized 11 firearms and 160 boxes of ammunition, including some empty, from the Thompson home. Authorities continue to review the evidence as the case moves toward sentencing.
Thompson’s lawyers said he hopes the sentencing hearing will provide as much peace and closure as possible for the victims and the community.
