In a major legal development, an 18-year-old man has formally admitted guilt in a 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina, that left five people dead, including his older brother and a police officer. The guilty plea comes just weeks before his scheduled trial, moving the case directly to sentencing.
Teenager Accepts Responsibility for Deadly Neighborhood Rampage
Austin David Thompson appeared in Wake County Superior Court on Wednesday, where he entered guilty pleas to all charges tied to the October 13, 2022 shooting spree that shocked Raleigh’s Hedingham community.
Prosecutors confirmed that Thompson pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm.
At the time of the attack, Thompson was 15 years old. According to court records, the violence began inside his home with the fatal shooting of his older brother and then extended into the neighborhood, where additional victims were killed and others wounded.
Legal Strategy and Upcoming Sentencing
Thompson’s decision to plead guilty followed months of pretrial motions from his defense team aimed at challenging certain evidence and testimony. In court filings, his attorneys stated that avoiding a full trial would spare survivors, families of victims, and the broader community from further emotional strain.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February 2, 2026, where judges will hear detailed testimony and review evidence before determining Thompson’s punishment.
Because he was a juvenile at the time of the shootings, Thompson is not eligible for the death penalty. Sentencing could range up to life in prison, potentially with parole eligibility after decades served, under state guidelines for young offenders.
