A 15-year-old shot and killed five people in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday night.
As of Friday afternoon, Austin Thompson, 15, was identified by sources as the suspect in Thursday’s shooting rampage in Raleigh that killed five people, among them his 16-year-old brother, James Thompson.
He began by killing two people in Hedingham near the Neuse River Greenway, a middle-class area of Raleigh, North Carolina. While fleeing the scene along a walking trail, he opened fire again, wounding two people and killing three more others, bringing the fatalities to five, police confirmed. A manhunt commenced and the suspect was apprehended at about 8:00 pm.
Estella Patterson, Raleigh Police Chief, said the suspect was hospitalized in critical condition following the shooting spree. During a news conference, the Police Chief confirmed that those who died in the unfortunate incident ranged from the ages of 16 to 52. The people who died included Gabriel Torres, 29, an off-duty policeman from Raleigh, who was reporting for duty when the shooting began. The other victims who died during the shooting were identified as Nicole Connors, 52, Susan Karnatz, 49, Mary Marshall, 34, and James Thompson, a 16-year-old high school student. Those wounded included a 59-year-old woman fighting for her life in the hospital and a second police officer who was released after receiving treatment.
After eluding authorities for several hours, the shooter was cornered and arrested, hiding in a nearby home. According to Police Chief Paterson, the shooting triggered a police response and manhunt that covered around two miles to capture the suspect. Police have not determined the motive for the shooting.The shooter was wounded in a standoff with police.
Police found a handgun and long gun after the shooting. The suspect was clad in camouflage and carried a backpack.
Speaking about what happened, Governor Roy Cooper called the shooting a tragic act of gun violence. He said, “It’s a sad day; we are angry and demand answers to all the questions. We all know the truth, no one should feel unsafe and have fear in their communities; it’s utterly wrong.”
Mary-Ann Baldwin, Raleigh’s mayor, reported that the gunfire broke out at around 5 pm. Police officers from different law enforcement agencies swung into action, closing roads and warning residents to remain indoors while they searched for the suspect.
The shooting in Raleigh is the latest in a week marred with violence across the US. On Sunday, five people were killed in a home shooting in Inman, South Carolina; while on Wednesday, in Connecticut, two police officers were drawn into an ambush while responding to an emergency call about domestic violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the country has witnessed at least 531 mass shootings this year alone.
Governor Cooper seconded the mayor’s outcry and asked for prayers for the affected families during these trying times.
