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A new lawsuit claims that several parties, including the parents of a North Carolina teenager knew the teen had “racist and violent” behaviors before he allegedly went on a shooting spree that killed his brother and four of his neighbors.
Austin Thompson was charged after allegedly shooting five people to death and injuring two others in the Hedingham neighborhood just east of Raleigh on October 13, 2022 when he was 15.
Authorities accused Austin Thompson (left) of fatally shooting his brother and four of his neighbors in 2022 when he was 15. One of those neighbors, Nicole Connors (right), was shot 35 times. (Photos: WRAL/CBS17)
The families of the victims filed a 162-page lawsuit against Thompson’s parents, the neighborhood homeowners association, and a private community police force claiming that those parties knew the teen had a history of “antisocial, racist, aggressive and violent comments and behaviors,” before the deadly shooting, CBS17 reported.
The lengthy suit reportedly details multiple complaints neighbors made to the HOA about Thompson, reporting him as “aggressive, creepy, and off.” It also includes two instances when the teenager used racial slurs.
Plaintiffs mentioned that Thompson encountered one of his alleged victims, Nicole Connors, days before the shooting. Connors, a 52-year-old Black woman who had also reportedly complained about Thompson’s behavior, was shot 34 times, more than any other victim.
Today, May 15, is the birthday of Nicole D. Connors. She would be 54 but died in the 2022 Raleigh mass shooting. Nicole had a vibrant personality, a beautiful smile that would light up the room, & a warm heart & helpful spirit that led her to go out of her way for those in need. pic.twitter.com/sjPlzCXQCp
— The Birthday Fairy Project (@TBFPToodle_oo) May 15, 2024
The suit alleges that the private law enforcement group hired to monitor the community took no actions after receiving calls about gunfire in the neighborhood on the day of the shooting. The group is accused of making no efforts to stop the spree, locate Thompson, and inform Raleigh police about the incident in a timely manner.
“The complaint details how Thompson, a known threat to the community, was allowed to roam freely with his weapons, leading to the deaths of five individuals and serious injury to others,” the Howard Stallings Law Firm said in a statement.
Austin’s father, Alan Thompson, pleaded guilty last month to keeping a loaded gun on his nightstand that was used in the shooting.
Family attorneys claimed the parents had no idea their son had violent tendencies.
BREAKING: Alan Thompson, the dad of the teen accused in Raleigh’s Hedingham mass shooting, is in court today with his lawyer. He’s charged with not properly storing weapons his son used that day to kill 5 people. @WNCN pic.twitter.com/d57CRAyaae
— Deana Harley (@Deanaharleynews) September 25, 2024
“Austin had no history of mental illness, there was no prior diagnosis at all,” Thompson’s attorney, Russell Babb, said. “There were no bullying incidents neither at school, or inside his own home by his brother James.”
The lawsuit alleges that the father-son pair would brag about the number of weapons they possessed and shared wishes to own even more. Search warrants revealed that police seized at least 10 guns and a large amount of ammunition from the Thompsons’ home.
Austin’s trial is set to take place in Sept. 2025.
Investigators say that he killed his older brother James Thompson, then went on to fatally shoot Nicole Connors, Susan Karnatz, Mary Marshall, and off-duty police officer Gabriel Torres. The two people wounded in the shooting were identified as Marcille “Lynn” Gardner and Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark.
Thompson allegedly used a shotgun, a handgun and a large hunting knife in the incident. After the killing spree, authorities say he fled and hid in a shed about a mile away from the neighborhood. During a standoff with officers, he shot himself and was rushed to a hospital with critical injuries that he survived.
He will be tried as an adult for murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious injury.
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