Overview
- Austin Thompson, now 18, entered a guilty plea in Wake County court to five counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer.
- Judge Paul Ridgway confirmed Thompson understood his rights and actions; the court will now set a sentencing date, with proceedings expected to begin in early February, according to WRAL.
- Under North Carolina law for offenses committed by a minor, Thompson faces a mandatory minimum of life with the possibility of parole after 25 years, with a maximum of five life terms plus 1,634 months.
- Prosecutors outlined a detailed timeline, saying Thompson shot his brother James in the head and then stabbed him, killed neighbors Nicole Connors, Officer Gabriel Torres, Mary Marshall, and Susan Karnatz, wounded Lynn Gardner, and injured another officer whose career ended.
- Defense filings cite a serious brain injury from a head wound before arrest and say Thompson pleaded guilty to spare victims and the community a trial; District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said prosecutors are ready to proceed, and earlier records show investigators seized numerous weapons as Thompson’s father later pleaded guilty to improper firearm storage.