RALEIGH, N.C. — An 18-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to murder and other charges for a mass shooting in North Carolina, acknowledging that he carried out a 2022 killing rampage that left five people dead, including his older brother and a police officer.

Austin David Thompson, who was 15 at the time of the attack that authorities say began in his Raleigh neighborhood, had been poised to go on trial in state court in less than two weeks.

Instead, Thompson’s attorneys, who for months had filed pretrial motions designed to limit certain testimony and evidence, announced Tuesday that he planned to plead guilty to all charges against him. His attorneys wrote that avoiding a trial would “save the community and the victims from as much additional infliction of trauma as possible.”

Thompson, wearing a quarter-zip sweater and slacks, offered few words while Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway questioned him and accepted his pleas. He 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 of an officer with a gun.

Ridgeway set a sentencing hearing for Feb. 2, which could last several days as testimony and evidence are reviewed. Thompson and his attorney acknowledged in court that no plea agreement had been reached with local prosecutors.

Because of his age at the time of the attack, Thompson can’t receive the death penalty. A judge can issue sentences of life in prison without parole on such murder counts. Ridgeway instead could sentence him in the case so he could be eligible for parole after at least 25 years. State appeals judges recently placed a 40-year limit on how long such young offenders must serve before becoming eligible for parole.

Resolution in the case was delayed in part while Thompson recovered from a gunshot wound that Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman concluded earlier was self-inflicted before his arrest. His attorneys say it resulted in a serious brain injury.

Providing the court a summary of evidence that would have been used at trial, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Latour described the sequence of events during the Oct. 13, 2022, shootings. He said Thompson first shot then repeatedly stabbed his brother James, whose body was found in the family’s home in the Hedingham community.

Latour said Thompson, armed with a shotgun and handgun, next shot multiple neighbors on the community’s streets, killing Nicole Connors, 52, and then off-duty Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, 29. Another neighbor who was wounded survived. Later, Thompson fatally shot two others on a nearby greenway trail: Mary Marshall, 34, and Susan Karnatz, 49.

Dressed in camouflage and carrying a backpack, Thompson was located by law enforcement in a shed nearby and arrested after an hourslong standoff during which he wounded another police officer, Latour said.

Wednesday’s hearing provided little additional explanation about Austin’s motive. His attorneys wrote this week that the brain injury “has made it such that Austin cannot explain why he committed this shooting.”

Latour said a note written by Thompson acknowledged why he killed his brother but that information wasn’t provided Wednesday. The note was ordered to remain confidential for now. Latour also said records showing Thompson’s online search history revealed that he had sought information on mass shootings and related items. A Thompson attorney said the report with those records may be challenged at sentencing.

Robert Steele, Marshall’s fiance at the time of her death, told reporters after the hearing that sentencing Thompson to life in prison without parole is the right thing to do.

“That’s justice,” Steele said. “He took five people’s lives, he tried to take two others.”

In 2024, Thompson’s father pleaded guilty to improperly storing a handgun that authorities said was found with his son after the shootings. He received a suspended sentence and probation.

Investigators seized 11 firearms and 160 boxes of ammunition — some of them empty — from the Thompson home, according to search warrants. Austin Thompson and his family were avid hunters, Latour said.

• North Carolina is the third-ranked growth state in the U.S. for the third consecutive year, according to U-Haul migration data.
• The Wilmington metro area is the third-fastest growing in North Carolina and ranks 26th for growth nationwide.
• Wilmington’s growth slowed in 2025, dropping from the 14th-ranked growth metro in 2024 to 26th.

According to a recent report from U-Haul, North Carolina remains one of the top growth states in the country. So what does this mean for Wilmington?

U-Haul analyzed migration data across the United States based on how many customers are taking U-Haul trucks and trailers on one-way trips in and out of states.

U-Haul’s data — which is comprised of over 2.5 million one-way moves across 24,000 rental facilities — found that North Carolina was the third-ranked growth state in the United States. And this is nothing new — North Carolina has been ranked third for three years running.

When we take a closer look into the state, how does Wilmington stack up against North Carolina’s other major cities?

More: As Wilmington grows, here are 8 projects to watch in 2026

Wilmington, NC’s growth

Have you been feeling like the Wilmington area is getting more crowded? The data shows you aren’t wrong.

Former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper holds a commanding double-digit lead in the latest poll of North Carolina’s closely watched Senate race, which is seen as one of Democrats’ best pickup opportunities in the 2026 midterm elections.

The new survey data released Monday by Tipp Insights for the League of American Workers shows Cooper with 48 percent compared to 24 percent who support former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley. An additional 27 percent are undecided.

Why It Matters

While Democrats are hoping to perform well in the upcoming 2026, based on consistent over performance in 2025 elections and the historical trend of the opposition party to the president generally winning seats in the midterm, they face a difficult map as they aim to win control of the Senate. The party needs to flip at least four Republican-held seats without losing any they currently hold.

North Carolina is one of the few states Democrats are optimistic about, as it has become increasingly purple in recent cycles. With incumbent GOP Senator Thom Tillis retiring, and a popular former governor running for the Democrats, the party believes a win may be within reach this cycle.

What To Know

Tipp’s latest poll was conducted from January 12 to 15 and included 1,512 registered voters. In addition to Cooper’s 24-point lead over Whatley, the Democrat was viewed favorably by a majority of respondents.

More than half (54 percent) of voters hold a favorable view of Cooper, compared with 25 percent for the GOP contender. However, 43 percent said they still weren’t sure about Whatley and nearly a third, 32 percent, said they view him unfavorably. Notably, that is slightly higher than the 31 percent who said they hold an unfavorable view of the former governor.

What Previous North Carolina Polls Show

A poll by High Point University’s Survey Research Center, conducted in November and released in December, showed that more North Carolina voters currently plan to back a Democrat in the 2026 Senate race than a Republican. The poll asked voters in the state, “If the elections for U.S. Senate were being held today, would you vote for the Republican Party’s candidate or the Democratic Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate?”

Forty-six percent of survey respondents said they’d back a Democrat, while 41 percent said they’d support a Republican—a lead of 5 points for Democrats. An additional 4 percent supported a candidate from “another party,” and 9 percent said they were “unsure.”

The poll included 1001 adults in North Carolina, of whom 783 self-identified as registered voters. The survey was carried out from November 11 to 17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

A Carolina Journal poll conducted by Harper Polling of 600 likely voters in November found Cooper leading Whatley. Voters backed Cooper 47 percent to Whatley’s 38.6 percent. Prior to that, an Emerson College survey from July showed Cooper leading Whatley by 6 points, 47 percent to 41 percent. That survey included 1,000 registered voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

What People Are Saying

Jeff Allen, Cooper’s campaign manager, told Newsweek in December: “A Democrat has not won statewide federal office in North Carolina in nearly two decades and we know this race will be very close, which is why we’re building a campaign to earn every vote and make sure North Carolinians know that Roy Cooper will fight for them in the Senate.”

Michael Whatley said in an interview with Breitbart published last month: “And there’s a true swing vote, but that, that middle group, they care about common sense versus crazy, and the fact that my opponent, Roy Cooper, has been, over the course of his career, fighting harder for criminals and illegal aliens than he has his own constituents, is a very real issue in North Carolina.”

What Happens Next

The 2026 midterm elections are about 10 months away, with North Carolina holding its primary on March 3, 2026. Traditionally, the party that does not hold the White House tends to perform better in midterms. Democrats also overperformed in 2025 special elections, giving them hope that they could potentially flip the House and possibly the Senate next year.

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