Father of accused Hedingham mass shooting suspect pleads guilty to gun storage charge
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The father of the teen accused in the Raleigh mass shooting pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of storing a firearm in a manner accessible to a minor.
Alan Thompson, 61, was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation.
The plea deal comes nearly two years after police say Thompson's son Austin went on a shooting spree in the Hedingham neighborhood in Raleigh.
According to investigators, on October 13, 2022, Austin Thompson, who was 15 years old at the time, used a weapon from their house to kill five people, including his older brother James. Two other people were shot but survived.
In the initial investigations, authorities said they seized 11 firearms and 160 boxes of ammunition, including four shotguns, five rifles, and two pistols.
In court Wednesday, the prosecution showed there was an unlocked box with a firearm and loaded magazine on his nightside table.
Alan's defense said he is living the unthinkable after losing his son James and knowing his other son will likely spend the rest of his life in jail.
It was also noted there were no warning signs for Austin. Alan had spoken to Austin two times right before the shooting with no indications there was something wrong.
The prosecution agreed to Alan's cooperation with the police.
The prosecution also added they have been watching other cases across the country in Georgia and Michigan where parents are being charged and held accountable for acts of gun violence committed by their children. However, they said this is not one of those cases.
The judge ended by saying this is an epic tragedy for the victims, the community and the Thompson family.
It's a slap on the wrist.Rob Steele
Reaction to plea, sentencing
Victim Mary Marshall's Fiance Rob Steele calls Alan Thompson's sentence "ridiculous."
"It's a slap on the wrist," he said. "The way the law is written, he can't be held much more liable. He can't be held to account for much more than this, to begin with, no matter how many deaths there were, but five people are dead because he didn't want to buy a safe and lock up his guns. It's that simple."
Steel says he's still healing from the tragedy.
"I've gotten to a lot better of a place than I used to be. (Today's plea deal) makes that hard to stay there. But it's not like I wasn't expecting this," said Steele. "Now, it's just waiting for September of next year so that we can see Austin go to trial and get what he deserves."
What's next?
Austin is facing five counts of murder in the deaths of James Thompson (his brother), Officer Gabriel Torres, Mary Marshall, Nicole Connors and Susan Karnartz.
His trial is currently set for September 2025.
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