18-Year-Old to Plead Guilty in 2022 Raleigh Shooting That Killed Five

An 18-year-old accused in a 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh plans to plead guilty, according to a written notice filed in Wake County court, ending plans for a February trial and moving the case toward sentencing. The attack, which began in a Raleigh neighborhood and extended to the Neuse River Greenway, left five people dead and left neighbors reeling.

Prosecutors say Austin Thompson, who was 15 at the time of the Oct. 13, 2022 killings, shot and stabbed his 16-year-old brother, James, inside the family home before opening fire on neighbors in the Hedingham subdivision. Investigators report he shot multiple neighbors, including off-duty Raleigh officer Gabriel Torres, and later shot two people on the Neuse River Greenway. Thompson was arrested after an hourslong standoff. Authorities recovered 11 guns and large amounts of ammunition from the home. In 2024, Thompson’s father pleaded guilty to improperly storing a firearm that was found with his son.

Thompson faces adult charges including five counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of assault of an officer with a gun. Because he was 15 at the time, he is ineligible for the death penalty; a judge could impose life with or without parole. A hearing that had been set ahead of his scheduled Feb. 2 trial was expected to move forward after the filing.

Court records say Thompson’s legal proceedings were delayed as he recovered from a gunshot wound prosecutors concluded was self-inflicted before his arrest. His attorneys say the wound resulted in a brain injury. In the filing notifying the court of his intent to plead guilty, they wrote that Thompson “wishes to save the community and the victims from as much additional infliction of trauma as possible.”

For Wake County residents, the case has been a stark reminder of how gun violence can ripple through neighborhoods and public spaces. The shootings touched private homes, a familiar subdivision, and the Neuse River Greenway, a widely used trail where families, runners and cyclists in Raleigh and surrounding areas gather. Recovering from such an event has required both immediate emergency response and long-term supports for survivors, witnesses and neighbors coping with grief and trauma.

The plea will spare victims and the community a criminal trial and transfer the dispute to sentencing, where a judge will determine punishment within statutory limits. Beyond the courtroom outcome, the case raises continuing public health and policy questions for Wake County: safe firearm storage, access to youth mental health and rehabilitation services, and how the justice system balances youth status with accountability in violent crimes. As the legal phase moves toward sentencing, neighbors and community leaders remain focused on healing, prevention and policies to reduce the risk of future tragedies.