Wake County DA preparing to seek adult charges against 15-year-old shooting suspect

As Raleigh continues to process the shock of Thursday evening’s shooting that killed five and injured two, the Wake County District Attorney’s Office is preparing to pursue charges against the 15-year-old suspect.

On Friday afternoon, District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told The News & Observer that she has begun the process of moving this case from juvenile court to superior court. Her office has filed petitions for a probable cause hearing, the first step in transferring the case to superior court.

“In this situation, there’s no question the mass loss of life, in my opinion, this case be transferred and tried in superior court,” Freeman said.

Freeman explained there is a three-step process to elevating charges to superior court:

• First, a petition must be filed in juvenile court for a probable cause hearing
• Second, a probable cause hearing is held to determine if this case can and should be tried in superior court, usually within 15 days of the incident
• Third, the DA makes a recommendation based on the evidence of probable cause

In this case, if probable cause is determined at the hearing, Freeman’s office will automatically pursue adult charges per a North Carolina law that moves Class A felonies in juvenile court to superior court. First-degree murder is a Class A homicide.

“We’re very much at the beginning of the process,” Freeman said.

Because these initial petitions were filed in juvenile court, Freeman’s office has not released the suspect’s name. However, sources have confirmed for the N&O that the suspect is 15-year-old Austin Thompson, the brother of 16-year-old shooting victim James Thompson.

Freeman said her focus is to support the victims’ families, as her office has done in the past.

“We are prepared for justice to be sought for these families,” Freeman said.

This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 4:00 PM.