Austin Thompson (Hedingham Mass Shooter)

Austin David Thompson was born in 2007 and lived with his family in the Hedingham neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina.

He was 15 years old when he carried out the October 2022 shooting. Thompson attended high school and had no publicly documented history of serious violence before the massacre.

Thompson lived with his parents and his older brother, James. His father, Alan Thompson, legally owned firearms that were accessible to Austin. Following the shooting, Alan Thompson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge relating to the improper storage of a firearm and received probation.

Thompson's killing spree began inside his family's Hedingham home on October 13, 2022.

He first shot his older brother, James Thompson, 16, in the back of the head. James survived the initial shooting briefly before Thompson stabbed him repeatedly.

Thompson then left the house armed with firearms and began shooting people in the surrounding neighborhood.

His victims were:

• Nicole Connors, 52 - a Hedingham resident
• Susan Karnatz, 49 - a Hedingham resident
• Mary Marshall, 35 - killed while walking along the Neuse River Greenway
• Gabriel Torres, 29 - an off-duty Raleigh police officer travelling to work
• James Thompson, 16 - Thompson's older brother

Two additional people were wounded during the rampage.

The attack continued for several hours as Thompson moved through the neighborhood before eventually being located by police.

Thompson used multiple firearms during the attack, including a shotgun and handgun.

The massacre began with the targeted killing of his brother inside their home before transitioning into a largely indiscriminate attack on people in the surrounding neighborhood.

Thompson encountered victims as he moved through Hedingham, shooting residents and people in the area. He also deliberately targeted Officer Gabriel Torres, who was off duty and on his way to work.

Investigators later uncovered evidence indicating that Thompson had researched violence and school shootings online and had written a note shortly before the attack. The note included the statement that he had no regrets and was sane when he carried out the killings.

After the shooting spree, Thompson was confronted by law enforcement near a local greenway.

He suffered a serious gunshot wound to the head and was taken to hospital in critical condition. He survived the injury and underwent extensive physical rehabilitation.

Because Thompson was only 15 at the time of the crimes, the case initially proceeded through the juvenile justice system. Prosecutors later successfully transferred the case to adult court, allowing him to be prosecuted for the five murders and other serious offenses.

Thompson was originally scheduled to stand trial in 2026.

Instead, on January 21, 2026, he pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer.

Because Thompson was a juvenile when the murders occurred, the death penalty was not available.

A lengthy sentencing hearing was held in Wake County Superior Court. Defence attorneys argued that Thompson had changed substantially since the shooting and presented evidence concerning his psychological and neurological condition. They also argued that an episode involving medication for acne may have contributed to his behavior.

Prosecutors argued that the attack involved extensive planning and demonstrated a level of permanent dangerousness that justified keeping Thompson imprisoned for life.

On February 13, 2026, Judge Paul Ridgeway sentenced Thompson to five consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The judge concluded that Thompson's crimes demonstrated what he described as permanent incorrigibility and irreparable corruption.

The Hedingham massacre was one of the deadliest shootings in Raleigh's history and profoundly affected the local community.

The first victim was Thompson's own brother, James. After killing him, Thompson left the family home and attacked people in the neighborhood. The victims included residents, people using the greenway and Officer Gabriel Torres, who was killed while travelling to work.

The question of motive has remained complicated. Thompson's defence presented evidence suggesting that he experienced a severe psychological episode and argued that medication may have contributed to his altered state. Prosecutors, however, presented evidence of planning, including internet searches and a handwritten note, and argued that his actions demonstrated deliberate intent. The sentencing judge ultimately rejected the defence argument that Thompson's condition justified parole eligibility.

Thompson's father, Alan Thompson, was separately prosecuted over the storage of the firearm used in the shooting. He pleaded guilty to improperly storing a firearm accessible to a minor and received probation.

The case also generated a significant legal question because Thompson was only 15 when he committed the murders. Although North Carolina law permitted him to be prosecuted as an adult, his age prevented prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.

In 2026, Judge Ridgeway ultimately determined that Thompson was one of the exceptionally rare juvenile offenders who could constitutionally receive life without parole. His sentence ended the criminal prosecution more than three years after the massacre.

• Raleigh Police Department
• Wake County Sheriff's Office
• Wake County District Attorney's Office
• North Carolina Department of Adult Correction
• Wake County Superior Court
• North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
• WRAL
• ABC11
• Associated Press
• Court TV