Thompson made no public statement during the hearing and was led away in handcuffs after the sentence was read. Family members of the victims wept in court as the decision was announced. The defense said it intends to appeal.

On January 21, he pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and assault on a police officer related to the October 13, 2022 attack.

Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway could have imposed life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years, but Thompson did not face the death penalty because of his age at the time of the crimes. During sentencing, the judge stated that the defendant was “a rare juvenile whose crime demonstrates irreparable corruption.”

According to court documents, now 18, Thompson chose to confess in order to spare the community and the victims’ families further emotional suffering and avoid a lengthy trial.

The defendant’s parents and relatives of the victims addressed the court, often in tears as they recalled the events. Thompson’s mother said, “We lost both of our children in a single afternoon. My heart is shattered and I cannot understand what happened.”

Investigators said that at age 15 he took a .22-caliber rifle from his home in Raleigh and shot his 16-year-old brother in the head after they returned from school and played video games. The boy was still alive but was later killed after being stabbed dozens of times.

Prosecutors said the teenager then gathered additional weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, put on camouflage clothing, packed a backpack with supplies, and left armed with a shotgun and a handgun. The first victims were neighbors walking their dogs — one died at the scene and the other survived with severe injuries.

Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots before realizing an attack was underway. The surviving victim said she fell to the ground bleeding and began to pray. She was hospitalized for three months and continues to suffer physical complications.

Among the victims was also a police officer preparing to go to work. His wife said she tried to stop the bleeding until help arrived, but he died at the hospital.

Two other people were killed nearby while carrying out everyday activities in the neighborhood. After the crimes, Thompson fled into a wooded area. When surrounded by authorities, he attempted to take his own life with a gunshot to the head but survived and was arrested.