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Austin Thompson to Plead Guilty in 2022 Raleigh Mass Shooting, Avoiding Trial

Because he was 15 at the time, the judge will choose between life without parole versus parole eligibility after at least 25 years.

Overview

  • Defense attorneys filed written notice Tuesday stating Thompson will plead guilty to all charges, removing the February trial from the calendar.
  • His lawyers say he chose to forgo a trial to spare victims and the community further trauma, with a sentencing hearing to be set.
  • The October 2022 rampage killed five people, including his brother James Thompson and off-duty Officer Gabriel Torres, and wounded others.
  • He is charged as an adult with five counts of murder along with attempted murder and assault offenses, and his attorneys cite a serious brain injury from a head wound.
  • Investigators recovered multiple firearms, large quantities of ammunition and a note appearing to confess to killing his brother, and his father later pleaded guilty to improperly storing a handgun.