Parents of teen charged in North Carolina mass shooting speak out

• Parents of 15-year-old boy accused of killing 5 people in North Carolina speak out.
• The suspect’s 16-year-old brother was among the fatalities.
• The parents say that they did not see warning signs.

The parents of Austin Thompson, a 15-year-old boy accused of killing five people in a shooting in North Carolina, released a statement Tuesday, October 18, saying they are «overcome with grief» and saw no warning signs in their son before the murders.

Alan and Elise Thompson issued the statement through an attorney, acknowledging the pain caused by their son, Austin, and expressing sorrow for the five killed last Thursday, October 13, including their other teenage son, 16-year-old James.

Austin Thompson murdered his older brother in the mass shooting

Witnesses said in 911 calls that the shooter opened fire with a shotgun in a neighborhood northeast of downtown Raleigh along a walking path. «Our son Austin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community and we are overwhelmed with grief for the innocent lives lost,» the statement said, according to AP.

Thompson’s parents say they will cooperate fully with law enforcement to help investigators understand what happened, but they themselves have questions. Authorities have not discussed a motive for the shooting. «There were never any indications or warning signs that Austin was capable of doing anything like this,» the statement said.

What happened to Austin Thompson?

Reached by phone Tuesday night, Elise Thompson declined to comment outside of the statement. Austin Thompson remains hospitalized in critical condition following his arrest Thursday night, hours after the shooting began.

The Wake county prosecutor has said the boy will be charged as an adult. Authorities had previously identified the shooter as a 15-year-old boy but had not publicly released his name.

Bodies in the neighborhood streets

Callers to 911 during the shooting described finding bodies on their neighborhood streets or front yards and along a trail popular with joggers and bicyclists, according to recordings released by authorities.

Witnesses said the shooter was wearing camouflage and using a shotgun in the attacks that began shortly after 5 pm. The shooting drew officers from numerous agencies to the neighborhood as the suspect evaded capture for several hours.

Who were the victims of the shooting?

“Words cannot begin to describe our anguish and sadness. We pray for the families and loved ones of Nicole Conners, Susan Karnatz, Mary Marshall, and Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres. We cry for your loss and for the loss of our son, James. We pray that Marcille «Lynn» Gardner and Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark make a full recovery from their injuries, and we pray for all who were traumatized by these senseless acts of violence,» the family said in the statement.

The victims, ranging in age from 16 to 50, were taken down as they went about their daily routines, police and loved ones said. Among the dead was an off-duty police officer. In addition to the fatalities, two people were injured.