Austin Thompson sentenced to life without parole in Raleigh mass shooting
In a Wake County courtroom Friday, Austin Thompson, 18, received life sentences without the possibility of parole for the 2022 killings that left five people dead in Raleigh. The ruling capped a two-week sentencing hearing and offered families a measure of closure after years of grief.
Life sentences handed down
At 9: 59 a. m. ET Friday, Judge Paul Ridgeway imposed life without parole on all five counts of first-degree murder. Thompson also received a term of at least 157 months for attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury to survivor Lynn Gardner.
In a detailed ruling, the judge described the rampage as marked by a prolonged period of planning and a level of malice that set it apart. He said it was “hard to conceive of a greater display of pure malice” than the indiscriminate targeting and brutal killings carried out that day. He concluded Thompson is one of the rare juvenile offenders whose crimes reflect “irreparable corruption, ” a finding that supported the life-without-parole outcome.
The court also rejected a defense claim that acne medication caused dissociation, saying the evidence did not support that explanation.
Juvenile status and North Carolina law
Thompson was under 18 at the time of the attack, which meant the death penalty was not an option under North Carolina law. While state law requires judges to consider youth-related mitigating factors in such cases, the court found that the severity, deliberation, and nature of the offenses outweighed those considerations.
Thompson did not address the court at sentencing. He was led from the courtroom in handcuffs shortly after 10 a. m. ET and is expected to be transferred to an adult correctional facility.
Families find relief, not forgiveness
The victims’ families expressed relief at the outcome, though many said the pain will never vanish. Rob Steele, fiancé of Mary Marshall, called the decision a long-awaited step. “Justice was served today, ” he said, adding that life sentences without parole were what families had hoped to see. “He ended five lives for reasons I still don’t really understand. At least four of them were completely random people. Because of that, he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. ”
Mary’s mother, Ginny Marshall, said she felt “relieved” by the ruling. Nicole Connors’ husband, Tracey Howard, who attended every day of the hearing, described himself as “a broken man. ” He said he has not forgiven Thompson: “I never heard Austin apologize. I never saw any regrets—no soul. Right now, I can’t forgive him. ” Howard pumped his fist when the sentence was read.
Jasmin Torres, widow of Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres, addressed Thompson during the proceedings earlier in the week, saying, “That monster should never be allowed anything remotely close to a normal life. Not one of us surviving victims, our families, friends and community should ever have to worry about a future where his barbaric self is set free. ”
How the 2022 attack unfolded
The violence erupted on Oct. 13, 2022, in Raleigh’s Hedingham neighborhood. Thompson first killed his 16-year-old brother, James, inside their home. He left a note that read in part, “I have no regrets. I’m not mental either. I was sane when I did this. ” He then moved outside and encountered his neighbor, Nicole Connors.
From there, investigators said he opened fire on others in and around the neighborhood and the nearby Neuse River Greenway. Among those killed was Officer Gabriel Torres, 29, who was on his way to work, along with runners Susan Karnatz, 49, and Mary Marshall, 35. In all, five people were killed: Nicole Connors, 52; Susan Karnatz, 49; Mary Marshall, 35; Gabriel Torres, 29; and James Thompson, 16. Additional victims were wounded, including Lynn Gardner, who survived after being seriously injured.
Guilty pleas and the road to sentencing
The sentencing followed Thompson’s decision to plead guilty on Jan. 21 to five counts of first-degree murder and additional charges stemming from the attack. Over two weeks of testimony and argument, the court reviewed evidence on planning and motive, as well as expert claims about Thompson’s mental state. The judge emphasized that the evidence showed premeditation and an indiscriminate pattern of targeting that supported the life-without-parole findings.
For many families, the decision ends a wait that stretched more than three years from the date of the shootings. While they underscored that no punishment can restore their loved ones, several said Friday’s sentence marked a critical step toward healing.
