Raleigh Mass Shooter Hearing Nears Ruling After Closing Arguments

Judge to decide if 15-year-old Austin Thompson will have chance at parole for 2022 killings

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Closing arguments wrapped up on Thursday in the sentencing hearing for Austin Thompson, the 15-year-old who carried out a mass shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina in October 2022. The judge is expected to rule on Friday morning whether Thompson, who faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life with the possibility of parole after 25 years, will have a chance at parole.

Why it matters

This case has drawn national attention as it grapples with the complex issues of juvenile justice, mental health, and the role of medication in violent crimes. The judge's decision will set a precedent for how the justice system handles young mass shooters and whether they can be rehabilitated.

The details

During the closing arguments, the prosecution focused on Thompson's concerning internet search history in the years leading up to the shooting, arguing it showed he was on a 'pathway to violence.' The defense, however, claimed Thompson's acne medication played a role in his actions and that he has since changed, describing an 'Austin 2.0' who has 'fully and totally accepted whatever the outcome is.' The defense is pushing for the possibility of parole, which they describe as 'a crack in the door,' while the prosecution is arguing for the maximum sentence of five life terms plus an additional 1,634 months.

  • The closing arguments wrapped up on Thursday afternoon.
  • The judge is expected to rule on the case on Friday morning at 9:30 AM.

The players

Austin Thompson

The 15-year-old mass shooter who killed five people in Raleigh, North Carolina in October 2022.

Judge Paul Ridgeway

The judge presiding over the sentencing hearing for Austin Thompson.

Patrick Latour

The prosecuting attorney arguing for the maximum sentence for Austin Thompson.

Kellie Mannette

The defense attorney for Austin Thompson, arguing for the possibility of parole.

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What they’re saying

“This is the Hail Mary they're hanging their hat on - that it wasn't his fault. He's accepting responsibility but give him this mitigation because it wasn't this fault because it was the drug that made him do it, seems incongruent to me.”

— Patrick Latour, Prosecuting Attorney (WRAL)

“The person today is not the person who sat in this court room for the last two weeks.”

— Kellie Mannette, Defense Attorney (WRAL)

“Austin had no grievance, no cause, no extremism, no preoccupation, no escalating marinating in violence. The State wants you to believe this was well planned and he fits mold of a typical mass shooter.”

— Kellie Mannette, Defense Attorney (WRAL)

“I also know that Austin is different from almost every case I've been involved in, where a child has expressed or exuded fear. That's not what I get from Austin - a lot of emotion but not fear. He's fully and totally accepted whatever the outcome is. That's exactly what makes him redeemable.”

— Kellie Mannette, Defense Attorney (WRAL)

What’s next

The judge is expected to rule on the case on Friday morning at 9:30 AM, determining whether Austin Thompson will have a chance at parole.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex issues surrounding juvenile justice, mental health, and the role of medication in violent crimes. The judge's decision will set an important precedent for how the justice system handles young mass shooters and whether they can be rehabilitated.