Austin Thompson
Definition
Austin Thompson is the American teenager who carried out the 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood, North Carolina, killing five people including his brother, an off-duty police officer, and three women.
Born in 2007, Thompson was 15 at the time of the October 13, 2022, rampage, which involved a shotgun, handgun, and knife, spanning two miles along the Neuse River Trail; he was critically wounded during a shootout with police but survived.
In January 2026, now 18, Austin Thompson pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder and other charges, avoiding a trial originally set for February.
Examples
In a masterclass of courtroom efficiency, Austin Thompson pleaded guilty this week, ensuring his legacy skips the trial theatrics entirely.
Austin Thompson redefined family bonding by starting his spree at home, proving some siblings really know how to make an entrance.
With his guilty plea, Austin Thompson generously spared the justice system months of deliberation, the ultimate procrastinator's gift.
Austin Thompson's path from high school sophomore to history books was impressively direct, courtesy of one fateful afternoon in Hedingham.