'We say goodbye:' Hundreds gather for funeral service for Raleigh officer killed in Hedingham shooting
Hundreds gathered Saturday for a procession and funeral for Officer Gabriel Torres, 29, who lost his life Oct. 13 when he was shot and killed outside his home in east Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood.
A funeral service was held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Cross Assembly Church at 2660 Yonkers Road. The service was livestreamed on WRAL.com and in the WRAL News app.
After the funeral, the Raleigh Police Department led a procession from the church to Brown-Wynne funeral home, where a private event was held for Torres' family members.
Statement from Officer Torres' family
The family released a statement just before the funeral began, saying:
"Today, we say goodbye to my husband, Gabe.
On behalf of my family, there aren’t enough “Thank You’s” in this world that I can say or write. Since the tragic loss of my husband, our family has received an outpouring of love and an incredible display of strength that has helped us get through this daily.
My family and I ask for privacy as we continue to mourn our loss in the days to come.
We are forever grateful for the support of the RPD family and the community."
Torres is remembered as a family man, a doting husband and the sweetest dad, according to his obituary.
Other gatherings in memory of victims of the mass shooting
A visitation was held Friday evening at Mitchell Funeral Home, located at 7209 Glenwood Ave.
"They said they feel the love," Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said Friday. "They feel taken care of, they feel supported, and hearing that makes me feel we're doing the right thing."
All five victims of the Hedingham mass shooting will be remembered Sunday at Raleigh’s Healing Together Vigil outside Memorial Auditorium. The event is hosted by the city of Raleigh.
List of memorials, GoFundMe pages for the Hedingham victims
The vigil will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday. Drivers should expect to see heavy traffic on Saturday ahead of Torres' funeral procession and funeral services and again on Sunday for the vigil.
More information on the mass shooting in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood
Sources tell WRAL News Austin Thompson, 15, opened fire in the streets of the east Raleigh's Hedingham community and on an adjacent greenway on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. Five people were shot to death, including his own 16-year-old brother.
Seven victims ranged in age from 16 to 60.
Those who lost their lives were: an off-duty Raleigh police officer, Gabriel Torres, 29, who was on his way to work when he was shot; James Roger Thompson, 16, a junior at Knightdale High School; Mary Marshall, 34; Nicole Connors, 52, and Susan Karnatz, 49.
Another Raleigh police officer, Casey Clark, 33, was treated and released from the hospital. Marcille "Lynn" Gardner, a special education teacher who just turned 60, remains at WakeMed in stable condition Monday with numerous surgeries ahead.
Sources tell WRAL News that Austin Thompson is in the hospital with multiple injuries, including a gunshot wound to the head. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said that if Thompson survives, she expects he would be charged as an adult, despite his age.
