Civil trial over Hedingham mass shooting begins July 6, 2026 in Raleigh

A civil trial tied to the Oct. 13, 2022 shooting in the Hedingham neighborhood is scheduled to begin July 6, 2026 in Wake County Superior Court and is expected to run about two weeks. Plaintiffs in the complaint have named Austin Thompson, Thompson’s parents, the Hedingham homeowners association and a security company and allege negligence in failing to prevent the attack.

The underlying attack began inside the Thompson family home in Hedingham and continued onto the Neuse River Greenway. Five people were killed and two others injured in the rampage. Victims identified in court filings and hearing transcripts include James Thompson, 16; Gabriel Torres, 29, an off-duty Raleigh police officer; Mary Marshall, 34; Nicole Connors, 52; and Susan Karnatz, 49. Injured were Raleigh officer Casey Clark, 33, and special education teacher Marcille "Lynn" Gardner.

Criminal proceedings against Austin Thompson concluded in late January when he entered a guilty plea to multiple counts related to the Oct. 13, 2022 attack. Court records and hearing documents list the plea as occurring in late January, with documents showing Jan. 21 and Jan. 22 in different entries. The docket reflects guilty pleas to five counts of murder plus additional counts including attempted murder and assault-related charges. Thompson, who was 15 at the time of the shootings, was later sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing five people.

Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway, explaining his decision at sentencing, said: "It’s hard to conceive of a greater display of malice," and added that Thompson's months of planning and fantasizing before the rampage confirmed he is the rare juvenile offender "whose crimes reflect irreparable corruption" and thus required a life without parole sentence. Because Thompson was a juvenile at the time, the court conducted a Miller sentencing hearing to address parole eligibility for the juvenile offender.

Testimony during the sentencing phase included a defense psychiatrist who described the defendant’s emotional development and drew a courtroom reaction. The psychiatrist told the court, "I hate to say this right in front of him, there's a degree of emotional immaturity in him," a remark that caused Thompson to laugh. Prosecutors also disclosed a previously confidential handwritten note found at the Thompson family home that contained Thompson’s name and the shooting date.

Court records and the civil complaint separate the criminal outcome from the civil claims; plaintiffs are pursuing damages and systemic accountability from the HOA and the security company for their alleged failures. Defense counsel has announced plans to appeal the criminal sentence. The July 6 civil trial will put the negligence allegations and the roles of the homeowners association and the security firm before a jury or judge over the two-week schedule set by the court.