The teen accused of a mass shooting last fall in Raleigh appeared in court Wednesday morning.

A judge ruled that Austin Thompson – who was 15 when, investigators say, he killed his brother and four others in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood – should be tried as an adult.

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The judge cleared the way to transfer the case against Thompson to superior court on five counts murder, two counts of attempted murder, two counts assault with deadly weapon with intent to kill and one count of assault with firearm on law enforcement officer.

Deonte Thomas is the public defender appointed to Thompson.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman called it the end of a long process and the beginning of another.

Father cited for failure to store gun linked to Raleigh mass shooting

Thompson's father, Alan Thompson, will also be cited.

It had been a matter of much speculation where Austin Thompson got the gun he allegedly used, and Alan Thompson's citation – on a charge of storing a firearm in a manner accessible to a minor – would appear to answer that question.

Alan Thompson, 60, was present on Wednesday at the courthouse, but he did not speak to the media. He is due in court next on Nov. 15.

Attorneys Roger Smith and Russell Babb are representing Alan Thompson and his wife, Elise Thompson.

Five killed in Raleigh mass shooting

Austin Thompson is suspected of killing five people and injuring two others on Oct. 13, 2022, in a rampage that started at his home on Sahalee Way and preceded through the Hedingham neighborhood to the Neuse River Greenway.

Those victims were:

  • James Thompson, 16, brother of the suspect
    • Officer Gabriel Torres, 29, who was on his way to work at the Raleigh Police Department
      • Nicole Conners, 52, who was shot on her front porch with her dog
        • Susan Karnatz, 49, who was running on the Neuse River Greenway
          • Mary Marshall, 34, who was shot on the Neuse River Greenway

            Thompson also allegedly shot and injured two people:

            Raleigh police officer Casey Clark was injured during the search for the shooter.

            Marcille "Lynn" Gardner, a special education teacher, who lived in the Hedingham neighborhood, was badly injured and continues to recover.

            Thompson holed up on a property along Old Milburnie Road and eventually got into a shootout with law enforcement before he was taken into custody. Sources told WRAL News that Thompson had an apparent head injury, and it is unclear what his physical and mental condition was immediately after the shootings.

            Case against Austin Thompson proceeds slowly

            Freeman said shortly after the shootings that she planned to try Thompson as an adult, but in almost a year, there was no evident progress in that prosecution.

            “We are aware this is a case of intense interest in our community,” Freeman told WRAL News last week. “It’s a case that is a priority for our office.”

            Freeman estimates the case will go to trial in 2025.

            The move to superior court means proceedings will be open to the public.

            "Now the public can see progress being made in the case," she said.

            After Wednesday's hearing, the court set Nov. 6 for the next step in the case against Austin Thompson.

            One thing is already certain: He won't face the death penalty if convicted. Federal law prohibits the death penalty for those who are younger than 18 at the time of their crimes.

            If Thompson is convicted, he could face life in prison for each of the five homicides, Freeman said.

            Raleigh community responds to Wednesday's news

            On Wednesday, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said, “For our community to heal, we must find justice for the victims and their families. Now, we have to respect the legal process.”

            Tom Karnatz, the husband of Susan Karnatz, sent WRAL News a text message about Wednesday's news.

            “I’ve always been confident that Austin Thompson would never go free," Tom Karnatz said. "As long as that is the case, I don’t put much thought or care into it.”

            Sharon Kaivani, Susan Karnatz’s sister, shared some of the same sentiments.

            "Honestly, I don’t have a personal need for vengeance or anything like that," Sharon Kaivani said. "That brings me no joy.

            "It brings me nothing because my sister is still gone."

            Also, Kaivani said, "It's been a heart-wrenching year."

            Kaivani said hearing the news that Austin Thompson should be tried as an adult doesn't change anything for her.

            "What we think about is what we see every day, and that is seeing my sister’s boys grow up and all the different milestones she’s missing," Kaivani said.

            Rob Steele, the fiancé of the late Mary Marshall, said while it was frustrating not to hear many updates until Wednesday, it wasn't surprising. He said every family member is going to react differently to the news.

            "My reaction is this is a good thing," Steele said. "This means that I now have the option of following along with the process if I want to."

            Steele said he planned to be in the courtroom for the trial and sentencing. However, he said he doesn't plan to go to every hearing.

            On Wednesday, Steele also shared his thoughts about the citation against Alan Thompson.

            "This person had two minors at home, minors who are not allowed to possess guns," Steele said. "He should have had a safe.

            "Yes, he was exercising his Second Amendment right to own a firearm, but that doesn’t relieve him of the responsibility to keep those firearms secure from people who shouldn’t have had them. And clearly, his 15-year-old son shouldn’t have had access to a firearm."

            Steele said he thinks state law should allow Alan Thompson to be charged as an accessory to murder.

            In July, Steele announced his plans to run for the Raleigh City Council in 2024.