Austin Thompson and the 2022 Raleigh Massacre
Overview
On October 13, 2022, 15-year-old Austin David Thompson carried out a planned series of killings in and around the Hedingham residential community in Raleigh, North Carolina. The violence began inside his family’s home and continued through neighborhood streets and onto the Neuse River Greenway. Five people were killed, including Thompson’s older brother and an off-duty Raleigh police officer. Two other people were wounded before Thompson exchanged gunfire with responding officers and suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The attack began shortly after 5:00 p.m. and caused an extensive emergency response across northeastern Raleigh. Residents were ordered to remain inside as officers from multiple agencies searched yards, wooded areas and buildings for the armed teenager. The search continued for several hours before Thompson was located and taken into custody.
The Killing of James Roger Thompson
The first victim was Thompson’s 16-year-old brother, James Roger Thompson. Investigators determined that Austin attacked James inside the Thompson family residence in the Hedingham neighborhood. James was shot and stabbed before Austin left the house carrying firearms, ammunition and a hunting knife.
Evidence disclosed during later court proceedings showed that the killing of James was not an impulsive confrontation. Austin had written about his intentions beforehand and indicated that he expected his brother to interfere with his plans. After killing James, Thompson dressed in camouflage and moved into the surrounding neighborhood with a shotgun and a handgun.
Attack in the Hedingham Neighborhood
After leaving his home, Thompson encountered Nicole Connors outside a residence in the Hedingham community. Connors was fatally shot, and her dog, Sami, was also killed. Lynn Gardner, a friend who was visiting Connors, was shot and seriously wounded. Gardner survived the attack.
Thompson continued through the neighborhood and encountered Gabriel Torres, a 29-year-old Raleigh police officer who was off duty and preparing to leave for work. Torres was in the area of the 6000 block of Osprey Cove Drive when Thompson shot him. Although Torres was not on duty at the time, his death deeply affected the Raleigh Police Department and the wider community.
Killings Along the Neuse River Greenway
Thompson then entered the Neuse River Greenway, a popular trail used by walkers, runners and cyclists. Susan Karnatz, a 49-year-old mother of three, was running on the trail when Thompson encountered and fatally shot her.
Mary Elizabeth Marshall, 34, was also on or near the greenway with her dog when Thompson shot and killed her. Marshall was engaged to be married, and her wedding had been scheduled for later in October 2022. Her dog escaped and was later recovered alive.
The random nature of the attacks caused widespread fear because the victims appeared to have been targeted simply because they crossed Thompson’s path. Police received numerous emergency calls reporting gunfire, injured residents and an armed person moving through the community.
Manhunt and Confrontation with Police
Law-enforcement officers established a large perimeter around Hedingham and the Neuse River Greenway. Residents were instructed to lock their doors, stay away from windows and remain inside. Roads were closed while officers searched wooded terrain, trails, outbuildings and nearby properties.
A police tracking dog eventually led officers toward a wooded property containing barn-like structures and a shed. Thompson had taken shelter in the area. When officers approached, he fired at them. Raleigh police officer Casey Clark was struck and wounded during the confrontation but survived.
Thompson was later found inside a shed suffering from a severe, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was arrested and transported to a hospital in critical condition. The attack and search had lasted for several hours, with the suspect taken into custody at approximately 9:30 p.m.
Victims
- James Roger Thompson, 16 – Austin Thompson’s older brother. He was killed inside the Thompson family home in the Hedingham neighborhood of Raleigh on October 13, 2022.
- Nicole Connors, 52 – Connors was fatally shot outside a residence in the Hedingham neighborhood on October 13, 2022. Her dog, Sami, was also killed.
- Officer Gabriel Torres, 29 – An off-duty Raleigh police officer who was shot near the 6000 block of Osprey Cove Drive in Raleigh on October 13, 2022.
- Susan Karnatz, 49 – A mother of three who was running along the Neuse River Greenway when Thompson fatally shot her on October 13, 2022.
- Mary Elizabeth Marshall, 34 – Marshall was walking with her dog near the Neuse River Greenway when she was fatally shot on October 13, 2022.
Surviving Victims
- Lynn Gardner – Gardner was visiting Nicole Connors and was seriously wounded during the shooting outside Connors’s home. She survived.
- Officer Casey Clark – A Raleigh police officer who was shot and wounded while officers attempted to apprehend Thompson. He survived.
Investigation and Evidence of Planning
Investigators recovered several weapons associated with the attack, including a shotgun, a handgun, a semiautomatic rifle and a hunting knife. Thompson had also carried ammunition and wore camouflage clothing. Evidence presented during the criminal case indicated that he had contemplated and prepared for the killings over a period of months.
A handwritten note recovered from the Thompson home provided the clearest available explanation for his actions. In the note, Thompson expressed intense hatred toward humanity and complained that people were destroying the Earth. He also referred to his brother as someone who would have interfered with what he intended to do. Prosecutors used the note, his preparations and the manner in which he armed himself to argue that the massacre was calculated rather than spontaneous.
Thompson survived the gunshot wound to his head but suffered a significant brain injury. After receiving hospital treatment, he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility while remaining in law-enforcement custody.
Criminal Charges
Because Thompson was 15 at the time of the killings, the case initially proceeded through the juvenile justice system. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced that prosecutors would seek to have him tried as an adult. His case was formally transferred to Wake County Superior Court in October 2023.
Thompson was charged with five counts of first-degree murder. He also faced two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and one count of assault with a firearm on a law-enforcement officer. The additional charges concerned the attacks on the surviving victims and the gunfire directed at responding officers.
Thompson’s father, Alan Thompson, was separately charged with failing to store a firearm in a manner that prevented access by a minor. The charge concerned a handgun that Austin obtained before the massacre. Alan Thompson later pleaded guilty and received a suspended sentence and probation.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
On January 21, 2026, Austin Thompson pleaded guilty to all charges connected to the massacre, including the five counts of first-degree murder. The plea eliminated the need for a lengthy trial but required the court to decide whether Thompson, who had been a juvenile when he committed the crimes, should ever become eligible for release.
During the sentencing proceedings, Thompson’s attorneys presented mental-health evidence and argued that his age, psychological condition and potential for rehabilitation justified a sentence that would permit a future parole review. They also raised questions about whether medication he had taken before the attack could have affected his mental condition.
Prosecutors emphasized Thompson’s extended planning, the weapons he assembled, the written note explaining his hatred of humanity and his decision to kill his brother before attacking strangers. Relatives of the victims described the permanent emotional damage caused by the massacre and asked the court to impose the strongest sentence allowed.
On February 13, 2026, Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway sentenced Austin Thompson to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The judge concluded that the evidence demonstrated a deliberate and carefully prepared attack and rejected the defense request for a sentence that could eventually allow Thompson to seek release. Thompson was subsequently transferred to the North Carolina prison system.
Community Impact
The massacre was one of the deadliest acts of violence in Raleigh’s history. Memorials containing flowers, photographs and crosses were established for the five victims. Vigils were held as residents mourned the loss of neighbors, a teenager, a mother, a bride-to-be and a police officer.
The case also renewed debate over firearm storage, juvenile access to weapons, warning signs of planned violence and the sentencing of minors convicted of multiple murders. For the families of James Thompson, Nicole Connors, Gabriel Torres, Susan Karnatz and Mary Marshall, the guilty plea and life sentence brought the criminal proceedings to a conclusion, but the consequences of the October 13, 2022, attack remained permanent.
