On Friday, a judge ruled that the trial for Austin Thompson would be delayed until next year.
Several of the victims' family members or spouses were in the courtroom for the proceeding and told ABC11 afterward that this was not the outcome they were hoping for.
Loved ones said it was hard seeing Thompson for the first time since the shooting rampage in the Raleigh neighborhood three years ago.
Thompson is charged with killing five people, including his brother and a Raleigh police officer.
Earlier this week, his attorneys asked for the trial to be delayed until February 2026.
They argued that Thompson, who was 15 at the time, was not the same person he was then after being shot in the head during the Oct. 13, 2022, standoff with police.
They said the then-high school sophomore sustained a severe brain injury and needed to be re-evaluated.
The husband of 52-year-old Nicole Conners, one of the victims, said it's still unbelievable that someone he saw around the neighborhood was allegedly responsible for the shooting.
"I want to be a part of the process. I want to know what's going on, and I already feel like I'm not doing enough anyways, so I just have to be here," Tracey Howard said.
Howard went on to say that he will continue fighting for justice.
After the judge's decision Friday, the trial date set for Sept. 22 will begin Feb. 2, 2026.