Police: North Carolina shooting suspect had shotgun, handgun
Authorities say the 15-year-old accused of a shooting rampage in North Carolina’s capital city that left five people dead last week was found with a handgun and a shotgun when he was arrested
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The 15-year-old accused of a shooting rampage in North Carolina’s capital city that left five people dead last week was found with a handgun and a shotgun when he was arrested, authorities said Thursday.
More details about the shooting emerged from a publicly released four-page preliminary report that Raleigh’s police chief delivered to the city manager. Such summaries are written within five business days of an officer-involved shooting.
The victims in the Oct. 13 shooting include the suspect’s 16-year-old brother and an off-duty city police officer who lived in the Hedingham neighborhood where the shootings began. Two others were wounded, one critically.
Witnesses described a shooter wearing camouflage and firing a shotgun in the attacks in the subdivision and on a nearby walking trail.
Police said the suspect — identified by his parents earlier this week as Austin Thompson — was captured more than four hours after the shootings began. Thompson was hospitalized in critical condition after his arrest. The top local prosecutor has said the suspect will be charged as an adult.
A service was scheduled Thursday evening for the suspect’s brother, James. The parents of the two teenagers released a statement earlier this week saying they are “overcome with grief” and saw no warning signs that “Austin was capable of doing anything like this.”
Services were set for Saturday for Torres and Karnatz. A citywide “Raleigh Healing Together” vigil was planned for Sunday downtown.
The Associated Press generally does not name people under 18 who are accused of crimes, but is identifying Austin Thompson because of the severity and publicity of the shootings and because his parents voluntarily named him.