'We're all hurting:' East Raleigh residents on edge after mass shooting

As the sun set, a church truck arrived to pass out bagged meals and allow neighbors a place to come together to remember, mourn and celebrate the lives lost Thursday to a mass shooting. On the streets were hugs and visits as neighbors checked on one another. Online, residents were organizing meal trains and fundraisers.

Raleigh Chief of Police Estella Patterson said Thursday's shooting occurred in the streets of the subdivision before the shooter ran onto the Neuse River greenway, where more people were shot.

The greenway, a walking and biking trail, runs just behind houses in the neighborhood. It extends about 27 miles (43 kilometers) along the river. The stretch behind the neighborhood is paved and lies down a grassy slope from the houses.

From there, police tracked the shooter to Old Milburnie Road and eventually the property on McConnell Oliver Drive. The gate there appeared damaged on Friday, knocked down by the SWAT team during the search.

In an outbuilding hidden by trees on the large property, the suspect holed up for hours as investigators dispatched a drone and later a bomb robot to investigate, worried his backpack might contain explosives.

There was an exchange of gunfire, and 15-year-old Austin Thompson was badly wounded. It's still unclear whether officers shot him, he shot himself or perhaps both.

Thompson was captured taken to WakeMed where he was in critical condition on Friday. Sources tell WRAL News that Austin Thompson has multiple injuries, including a gunshot wound to the head.

Back in Hedingham on Friday, police officers searched homes Sahalee Way and narrowed their search to one that property records show belongs to Thompson's family. The garage door to the home was open, and police were walking in and out of the house, which was surrounded by crime scene tape.

A shooting spree, an hours-long search and a neighborhood on edge: 5 killed, two injured in mass shooting in east Raleigh

Sara Cutter, 31, said she sensed “a lingering sadness over Raleigh” as she walked the greenway, about a mile from the shootings. She said the shooting won't deter her from using the trail, but she will be more vigilant and probably won't walk alone anymore.

“We’re all hurting today, the entire city,” Cutter said. “I’ve seen some somber faces while I’ve been out walking today. But it’s also been good to see people out. The community — that’s what will get us through.”