Remembering the Hedingham mass shooting victims: What the sentencing judge said
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Raleigh mass shooting in Hedingham neighborhood
On Oct. 13, 2022, seven people were shot in Raleigh, NC, in the Hedingham neighborhood near the Neuse River Greenway Trail. Five were killed, including a Raleigh police officer. High school student Austin Thompson was charged with their murders. Read The News & Observer’s ongoing coverage of the mass shooting, Thompson’s guilty plea and ongoing civil lawsuit.
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After weeks of testimony and 39 witnesses, Austin Thompson, the teen behind Raleigh’s deadliest shooting, learned his fate Friday.
Thompson, now 18, was 15 when he went on a shooting rampage in the Hedingham neighborhood in northeast Raleigh. He faced life sentences for each of the five murders plus up to 133 years for the other felonies.
Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul C. Ridgeway sentenced him to life in prison without parole.
But before Ridgeway explained his sentence, he directed his focus to the seven victims in the shooting: five who were killed and two whose lives were forever altered with injuries. Families of the victims were seen wiping tears as he spoke.
Here is what he said about victims. This has been lightly edited for clarity.
“This is certainly an important day for (the victims) as well. These proceedings are important. They reflect the constitutional rights that the victims have the right to be present and to be heard at proceedings like this.
“I want to just say briefly a bit that I learned about each one of the victims.
Lynn Gardner, survivor
“What I learned about Lynn, after 3 months in the hospital, life support, her mouth wired shut ... five buckshot fragments found in her body, one remaining, parts of her internal organs removed. She, our first witness, sat on the witness stand and said that God has given her the grace to forgive the young man that shot her. That reflects a beautiful soul.
Nicole Connors, 52
“What struck me was she was loved so fiercely by her husband that the defendant’s actions have broken him. He doesn’t enjoy things like he used to. He feels socially awkward. He doesn’t like to go anywhere because he feels guilty about having fun without his wife.
Gabriel Torres, 29
“Gabe, former US Marine, Raleigh police officer, a really great husband and father. We heard a powerful statement from Jasmine about the impact this has had on her. And Layla, Gabe’s daughter, knows her father only through photos, videos, and a cutout pillow with his image on it.
Casey Clark, survivor
“Raleigh Police Department for 10 years, a member of the Selective Enforcement Unit, the SWAT team. His entire life goal was to be on that unit. It was his dream. He was only able to live that dream for three years before, while protecting the citizens of our community, he was shot in what felt like a freight train going through his knee. He’s not able to continue in the law enforcement profession and still has a bullet in his leg.
James Thompson, 16
“Son of Elise and Alan Thompson. Honor roll student, 4.12 GPA, saving money from his odd jobs for a car and college. All-around athlete, excelled in team sports. A good son. Couldn’t ask for anything better.
Susan Karnatz, 49
“Sue, a runner, marathoner, ultra marathoner. Mother of Max, Oliver and Everett. Every day when her husband, Tom, wakes up, he realizes his wife is not there lying beside him and that makes that day hard. And he knows that that will be his experience every day for the rest of his life.
Mary Elizabeth Marshall, 35
“I really love (her mother) Ginny’s description of Mary Beth as the home entertainment system of their family. Singing loudly, off-key, silly jokes. And I really like this description. ‘She had laughter that can only be described as what sunshine sounds like.”
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 2:26 PM.
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