Austin Thompson pleads guilty to multiple murders
Austin Thompson, the North Carolina teenager who killed his brother and four neighbors in 2022, appeared in court Tuesday for his sentencing. On January 21, Thompson, now 18, pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and assault on a law enforcement officer.
The court filing explains that Thompson chose to plead guilty to spare the victims and community additional trauma and avoid a trial.
The deadly rampage
Thompson was 15 at the time. He grabbed a .22-caliber rifle from his home and shot his 16-year-old brother in the head while they were home alone after school. His brother survived the shot but later died after Thompson stabbed him 57 times, mostly in the neck area.
For the next 30 minutes, Thompson gathered more firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. He changed into full camouflage gear and packed a backpack with water, prepackaged food, $700 in cash, spare clothes, knives, fire starters, and other survival items.
Thompson left the house carrying a shotgun and a handgun. He first confronted neighbors Nichole Connors and Lynn Garner while they walked their dogs. Video footage shows Thompson crouching as he opened fire. Connors and her dog died, while Garner survived and described him as a young man in camouflage.
Police and other victims
Thompson then shot Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, who was on his way to work. Torres’ widow, Jasmin, recounted trying to reach her husband while picking up their 2-year-old daughter from daycare. She arrived home to find him fatally shot and attempted to save him before he died.
Other victims included Mary Marshall, who tried to grab her loose dog, and Susan Karnatz, who was jogging nearby.
After the shootings, Thompson fled into a wooded area. Police tracked him down, and he shot himself in the head as they approached, but he survived.
Motive remains unclear
Investigators interviewed Thompson’s parents and teachers but found no clear motive. They discovered that he had researched mass shootings on his computer and phone before the attack.
