Who is being held responsible for the Hedingham mass shooting in Raleigh? What we know
After an hourslong standoff with police, Austin Thompson was taken into custody for a mass shooting in his neighborhood that killed five people and injured two others.
Since the dramatic and bloody standoff, very little has been revealed about Thompson — until this week.
On Wednesday, his case was elevated from juvenile court to superior court. He now faces five counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Gabriel Torres, 29; Nicole Connors, 52; Susan Karnatz, 49; Mary Marshall, 34; and James Thompson, Austin’s 16-year-old brother. He is also charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill in the shootings of Marcille Lynn Gardner and Clark Casey.
Despite his case moving forward, questions remain about Austin and the deadly shooting.
Who is he?
How did he get the guns?
And who else should be held responsible?
Father of alleged shooter facing charge
People who have firearms and live with minors have a responsibility to store the firearms in a way that unsupervised minors cannot access them, according to North Carolina Statute 14-315.1.
On Wednesday, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced that Austin’s father, Alan Thompson, would be cited for breaking this law in connection to the Hedingham shooting.
However, there is a fairly steep threshold to prosecute these crimes.
Under the current safe storage law, parents can only face criminal charges if:
A child takes the firearm without the parent’s permission and then
Displays that gun in public, threatens someone with it, brings it to a school, causes injury or death with the gun or uses it in the commission of a crime.
Only then, if a prosecutor decides to move forward with the case, will parents be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor. For first-time offenders, a Class 1 misdemeanor carries a penalty of no more than 45 days in jail and a potential fine determined by a judge.
In the case of Alan Thompson, the prosecutor’s decision to pursue this charge indicates at least one of the guns used in the shooting belonged to Alan. This charge also indicates that Austin, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, allegedly took the gun(s) without Alan’s permission.
Legal precedents for charging parents
This week, a couple in in Michigan received national attention for their alleged role in a mass shooting perpetrated by their son.
On Nov. 30, 2021, Ethan Crumbley, who was 15 at the time, shot and killed four of his fellow students at Oxford High School, and injured seven other people.
In the aftermath of the shooting and Ethan’s arrest, his parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, allegedly tried to evade law enforcement before they were arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Prosecutors allege that the Crumbleys not only left guns unlocked around Ethan, but had purchased the gun used in the shooting for him.
In addition, the Crumbleys face allegations of ignoring Ethan’s mental health issues.
On the day of the shooting, the Crumbleys are said to have been called to Oxford High School to meet with teachers and counselors to discuss Ethan, who had been seen searching on his phone for ammunition and creating violent drawings. At the meeting, staff members claim they instructed the Crumbleys to take Ethan home and ordered he start mental health counseling within 48 hours.
The Crumbleys allegedly refused to take Ethan home. Ethan opened fire in the school later that day.
Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to terrorism, murder, possessing a firearm in commission of a felony and seven counts of assault with intent to kill in October 2022.
Despite the Crumbleys’ attempt to appeal the charges, the Michigan State Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that the parents’ alleged actions merit criminal prosecution.
Juvenile gun possession
When it comes to minors purchasing firearms in North Carolina, the rules are clear: No one under the age of 21 may buy handguns, and no one younger than 18 can buy long guns, such as shotguns or rifles.
But North Carolina rules about minors possessing firearms are slightly murkier.
In North Carolina it is a misdemeanor for someone under the age of 18 to possess a handgun. But there is no similar N.C. statute specifically addressing the possession of “long guns” — rifles, shotguns and carbines. (There is, however, a statute that allows children younger than 12 to handle firearms with permission from or under supervision of adults.)
This means that although teens ages 13 to 17 cannot legally purchase long guns, it is not illegal to have them in their possession.
Safe Storage Practices
Places that require safe storage report a drop in unintentional deaths related to firearms of up to 59%, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
An estimated 32% of youth firearm suicides and unintentional firearm deaths could be prevented through safe storage, DHHS said.
Here are some best practices for safe firearm storage, according to public health guidelines.
Firearms should not be accessible to anyone except the owner.
Unload firearms to store them.
Keep firearms separate from ammunition.
Put firearms in a locked place or secure them with a safety device, such as a gun lock.
Safety Devices
Gun locks are most effective for young children. With older children and teens, the NCDHHS recommends investing in biometric locks that only the gun owner can open.
Free and discounted gun locks are available through Protect ChildSafe at projectchildsafe.org.
