Raleigh Mass Shooting Preliminary Report Released

On October 13, 2022, a mass shooting occurred in the Hedingham neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina. 

Five people were killed, and two others were injured.One of the victims killed was an off-duty Raleigh police officer, Gabriel Torres, 29, who was on his way to work.

The Associated Press stated that they generally do not name people under 18 who are accused of crimes but said they were identifying Austin Thompson as the shooter because of the severity and publicity of the shootings and because his parents voluntarily named him. The 15-year-old suspect who was shot by Raleigh Officers remains in critical condition at this time.

The Thompson family has said that there were no warning signs and that the brothers had a very normal sibling relationship.

North Carolina’s governor Roy Cooper called the shooting a “moment of unspeakable agony.”

Joe Biden predictably used the shooting to blame guns: "We must pass an assault weapons ban. The American people support this commonsense action to get weapons of war off our streets."  

(Note the 15-Year Old shooter had a shotgun and handgun)

The Raleigh Police Department on Friday released their preliminary report of the shooting. Below is the memo (Cedar Posts has edited the memo for clarity, readability, spelling and punctuation) from the former CMPD deputy chief Estella D. Patterson, now Chief of Police in Raleigh. The original memo as presented is here.

Preliminary Report of October 13, 2022 Officer-Involved Shooting 

On October 13, 2022, members of the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) responded to a mass shooting in the Hedingham neighborhood located in Northeastern Raleigh. Five (5) individuals died, and two (2) others sustained injuries during this incident. 

Over the course of several hours, a search ensued of the suspected shooter that included an exchange of gunfire between the shooter and multiple officers. 

These events culminated in the apprehension of the shooter, a 15-year-old white male suspect. The suspect was transported to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition. 

Following standard practice, both the Wake County District Attorney’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) were notified. 

The SBI is currently conducting a criminal investigation of the actions of the officers, their use of force, and will present a completed investigation to the Wake County District Attorney for review. 

The Detective Division of the Raleigh Police Department is conducting a criminal investigation of the actions of the suspect. The Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an administrative investigation into the incident to determine if all Departmental policies and procedures have been followed. When complete, the administrative investigation will be evaluated by members of the RPD Command Staff.

All investigations are ongoing, will be thorough, and follow the available facts and evidence wherever they lead. 

Based upon the information currently available to the Department, a preliminary review of the incident provides the following:

At approximately 5:09 p.m. on Thursday, October 13, 2022, a call for service was received by the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) regarding multiple shots fired in the vicinity of the golf course in the Hedingham neighborhood. As officers with the Raleigh Police Department were being dispatched to this initial call, additional calls began to be received regarding the discovery of shooting victims in the area. 

At or about 5:12 p.m., a 911 caller reported hearing shots and shortly thereafter observed two individuals lying on the ground and porch in the 5300 block of Sahalee Way. 

The first victim, Marcille Gardner, was found lying in the driveway of a residence in the 5300 block of Sahalee Way,  and the second victim, Nicole Connors, was observed on the front porch of the same residential property. 

Ms. Connors later died at the hospital from her injuries, while Ms. Gardner currently remains in critical but stable condition. In addition, a dog belonging to Ms. Connors was found deceased after having been shot. 

Shortly after this incident was reported, an additional call came in regarding a shooting in the 6000 block of Osprey Cove Drive in the same neighborhood. 

It was reported that Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres was in his vehicle and had been shot by a male wearing camouflage clothing. At the time, Officer Torres was sitting inside of his personal vehicle and about to leave for work. Officer Torres, who joined RPD in March 2021, later died at the hospital from his injuries. 

Based on automated vehicle locator information, initial responding officers began to arrive in the Hedingham neighborhood at approximately 5:19 p.m. Those officers responded with blue lights and sirens operating. In subsequent calls received by ECC, the shooter was described as a young white male with a shotgun last seen running towards the woods. 

A photograph of the suspect wearing camouflage clothing was obtained from a witness and disseminated to officers.

* at this stage in the process, disclosure of information that would reveal a juvenile’s identity is prohibited under North Carolina State law.

The suspect was reported to have fled towards the Neuse River Greenway Trail. 

At approximately 5:21 p.m., an additional 911 caller discovered two more victims suffering from gunshot wounds at separate locations along the greenway. Mary Marshall, who was walking her dog, and Susan Karnatz, who was out on a run, were both found deceased at the scene as a result of their injuries. 

An extensive search for the suspect was conducted, which included the assistance of officers across multiple state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies. K-9 officers were also deployed, preparing multiple search tracks in order to cover considerable ground. 

As the search area expanded, several nearby buildings to include schools and assisted living facilities initiated lockdown protocols. The Raleigh Police Department, through various media platforms, alerted the public to remain in their homes and encouraged drivers to avoid the area.

At approximately 6:42 p.m., officers were ultimately able to locate the suspect in an area with two outbuildings (barn-like structures) near McConnell Oliver Drive. 

As officers were attempting to search the area, the suspect fired multiple shots at the officers from one of the buildings. 

At approximately 6:44 p.m., Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark fell to the ground after sustaining a gunshot wound. Multiple officers, including two officers with the Raleigh Police Department, returned fire. Officers deployed cover fire allowing Officer Clark to be pulled to safety so that he could begin receiving treatment for his injuries. Preliminary results indicate that approximately 23 rounds were fired by RPD officers. Those rounds were fired in the direction of the outbuilding where the suspect fired upon officers.

Following the exchange of gunfire, officers established a perimeter to keep the suspect contained in the outbuilding for the safety of the nearby community due to concerns about the nature of the weapons he possessed to include multiple firearms, as well as possible hand grenades as reported in a 911 call. During this time, officers gave repeated commands to the suspect to come out with his hands up and to surrender his weapons as part of their de-escalation efforts. 

In addition, officers with the Selective Enforcement Unit (SEU) utilized tactical equipment to identify the exact location of the suspect in the outbuilding and the weapons in his possession. At approximately 9:34 p.m., after continued reassessment of the threat advanced towards the outbuilding. 

The suspect was located inside lying on the ground and appeared to be suffering from a single gunshot wound. At the time, he was wearing camouflage clothing and a backpack, and a handgun was in his waistband. 

The backpack contained various items, including several types of shotgun/rifle ammunition. A sheath for a large knife was found clipped to his belt, and a large hunting knife was found at the front of the outbuilding. A shotgun and shotgun shells were lying on the ground near him. No other weapons were found. Officers secured the suspect in handcuffs at approximately 9:36 p.m. EMS personnel rendered medical attention to the suspect and transported him to the hospital. 

Officers searched the outbuilding, finding no other individuals inside. The suspect’s apprehension was relayed by RPD to the public through news and social media outlets.

In addition to the shooting victims identified herein, a deceased 16-year-old male with an apparent gunshot wound and stab wounds was discovered in a residence located in the 5300 block of Sahalee Way. 

Fired projectiles were also later discovered inside of a residence located in the 2200 block of Castle Pines Drive. Based on the suspect’s estimated direction of travel (seen in the attached map), it is believed the victims were shot in the following order: the 16-year-old male, Marcille Gardner, Nicole Connors and her dog, Officer Torres, Mary Marshall, Susan Karnatz, and Officer Clark. 

The collective motive for these attacks is still unknown. Based on information currently available, there does not appear to be any connection between the victims that were shot by the suspect prior to his encounter with the police other than they lived in the same neighborhood.

Pursuant to Departmental policy, Sergeant K.M. Smithey and Officer D.M. Garner, the two Raleigh Police Department officers who placed on administrative duty. As is standard protocol and in the spirit of transparency, the Department will petition for the release of agency recordings of Smithey, Garner, and Clark which capture the officer-involved shooting.

The Raleigh Police Department is limited in how much information can be shared at this time due to both the suspect’s age and the ongoing criminal investigation. Any new information that can be shared will be provided.

The public is encouraged to report any information related to this case to Raleigh Crime Stoppers at (919) 996-1193.