RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The parents of the 15-year-old suspect — and one of the victims — in the Raleigh mass shooting that left five people dead and two injured released a statement Tuesday through their attorneys.
“Words cannot begin to describe our anguish and sorrow,” the statement from Alan and Elise Thompson began. Our son Austin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community, and we are overcome with grief for the innocent lives lost. We pray for the families and loved ones of Nicole Conners, Susan Karnatz, Mary Marshall, and Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres. We mourn for their loss and for the loss of our son, James.
“We pray that Marcille “Lynn” Gardner and Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark fully recover from their injuries, and we pray for everyone who was traumatized by these senseless acts of violence.
“We have so many unanswered questions. There were never any indications or warning signs that Austin was capable of doing anything like this. Our family will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and do whatever we can to help them understand why and how this happened.”
The juvenile suspect remains in critical condition in the hospital. He was severely injured when police found him and took him into custody hours after the shooting, but details of how he received those injuries have not been released.
In the Hedingham community, neighbors reacted Tuesday evening to the statement issued by the parents.
“I know that their hearts are broken because of what happened. They’re really hurting, too,” said one neighbor, who was out walking her dog on Castle Pines Drive.
The neighbor, who wanted to be identified only as Sheila, said she remembered seeing the Thompson sons when they were younger.
She also said their father did handy work for a few of her friends.
She said she understands the parent’s grief.
“I sympathize with them and what they said in a statement,” Sheila said. “They had no clue of him doing anything like that. You can’t just blame them. I just want to know where he got the gun.”
Earlier Tuesday, Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson briefed Raleigh City Council on the investigation into the shooting that happened Thursday in the Hedingham neighborhood.
Patterson said further details would be released in the department’s 5-day report, which is expected to be released Thursday. The report will include a detailed outline of events during the shooting, including the suspect’s injuries and what type of weapon was used.
She also said one of the shooting victims is showing improvement and a second has been released from the hospital.
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The chief said the homicide unit has been working around the clock these past five days to “better understand the sequence of events that occurred and the possible motives behind the suspect’s actions.”
City officials also announced that a public vigil will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday outside the Memorial Auditorium.
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“The light that normally shines on Raleigh does not shine as bright,” Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said at the council meeting.
The city also announced that it is creating a website that will offer support resources to the families and the greater Raleigh community.
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