The Raleigh-Apex NAACP and other local advocates for gun rights and civil rights are calling on officials to enact meaningful change after a mass shooting in Raleigh Thursday.

“Our hearts are broken today,” said Gerald Givens Jr., president of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP. “This evening… we’ll remind [our families] how deeply we love each other. But some Raleigh families don’t get to do that tonight. And they need every one of us right now.”

Representatives from MomsRising, Moms Demand Action, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence and the North Carolina Council of Churches were present at Friday afternoon’s press conference. Advocates called for a ban on assault-style weapons. It’s not clear what weapon was used in Thursday’s shooting.

On Friday, President Biden also called for the same ban, pressing for the U.S. Senate to pass legislation the U.S. House approved in July.

Givens said his organization is partnering with the city of Raleigh to set up a community violence intervention program.

“We're working with dozens of community partners right now. We’re working with [Wake] County as well to get funding and resources,” said Givens.

Givens also urged parents to secure any firearms at home to protect children from reaching them. Finally, advocates looked to the upcoming November election and called on voters to vote for candidates who support tighter gun regulations.

“This can't keep happening. We need more than thoughts and prayers,” said Leah Krevat with Moms Demand Action. “We need action. Get involved, spread the word, and vote for candidates who will take action. Enough is enough.”

Multiple media outlets, including the News & Observer and WRAL, report that the 15-year-old Raleigh shooting suspect is Austin Thompson, a sophomore at Knightdale High School and the brother of victim James Thompson, 16.

A Raleigh city spokesperson told WUNC this afternoon that the suspect is still hospitalized and in critical condition.

Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson has not released details about a possible motive for the killings or explained the circumstances surrounding the apprehension of the suspect.

Victim James Thompson was a junior at Knightdale High School and the youngest among the five victims who were killed.

Knightdale High Principal Keith Richardson wrote in an online statement to the school’s families that the school’s counseling and student services teams and the district crisis team would be on campus today and next week.

WUNC's Jay Price, Celeste Gracia and Bradley George contributed to this update.

The youngest victim of Thursday's shooting was James Thompson, a 16-year-old junior at Knightdale High School.

In an online statement to the school’s families, Knightdale High Principal Keith Richardson wrote that the school’s counseling and student services teams and the district crisis team would be on campus today and next week.

The police officer killed was 29-year-old Gabriel Torres. Raleigh Chief of Police Estella Patterson said Friday morning that Torres was on his way to work, but she offered no further details. Officer Torres was a former Marine.

Two of the dead were killed while simply walking their dogs. Nicole Conners, 52, and her Jack Russell mix, Sami, were both shot to death, her husband, Tracey Howard, told NBC. Conners lived two doors down from Thompson.

Connors had quit her job in human resources to care for her mother after a stroke, her husband said.

Robert Steele, who identified himself as the fiancee of victim Mary Marshall, 34, posted on Facebook that she was killed while walking their dog.

“I don’t know what to say,” he wrote. “I don’t know what to do. My world has been completely destroyed …”

Friends described Susan Karnatz, 49, as an avid runner.

Her husband, Tom, told WRAL she had been a wonderful mother to their sons, ages 10, 13 and 14.

He also took to social media to share his grief. On his Facebook page he posted:

“For Sue Butler Karnatz.
We had big plans together
And we had little plans together.
We had plans together for big adventures
And plans together for the mundane days in between.
We had plans together with the boys
And we had plans together as empty nesters
We had plans together for growing old.
Alway together.
Now those plans are laid to waste.
We have big memories together
And we have little memories together.
We have memories together of joyous occasions
And memories together of plain times in between.
We have memories together from before the boys
And memories, many memories together with the boys.
Always and for ever, memories together.”

Raleigh police canine officer Casey Joseph Clark, 33, was injured, but was treated and released from the hospital.

Also injured was Marcille Gardner, 59, who was in critical condition at Wake Med.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Nicole Conners lived two doors down from Thompson, not Gabriel Torres as previously reported.

Matt Ramey

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for WUNC

The Neuse River greenway trail will be closed between Buffaloe Road and Anderson Point Park until further notice, the city of Raleigh said Friday afternoon. The closure is in place to support the ongoing investigation into the Thursday evening shooting in northeast Raleigh that killed five people.

Police told the Associated Press that the suspect – a 15-year-old white male – fatally shot two people in the Hedingham neighborhood, then fled toward the greenway where he killed three more people. Police have not yet determined a motive.

The remainder of the greenway system will remain open.

“We know that our community is grieving for our lost officer, victims, impacted families, the Raleigh Police Department, and the affected neighborhoods. We also understand that tragic events like this create understandable unease,” a city statement said.

Susan Walsh

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AP

The White House released a statement from President Joe Biden on Friday afternoon regarding the Thursday evening shooting in northeast Raleigh that killed five people.

Biden said that while he and the First Lady are “grieving with the families” impacted and are “grateful for the law enforcement and other first responders,” he also called for a ban on assault weapons.

“We must do more. We must pass an assault weapons ban,” Biden said. “The American people support this commonsense action to get weapons of war off our streets. House Democrats have already passed it. The Senate should do the same. Send it to my desk and I’ll sign it.”

Raleigh police have not publicly said what type of firearm was used in the shootings.

“Enough,” Biden said. “We’ve grieved and prayed with too many families who have had to bear the terrible burden of these mass shootings. Too many families have had spouses, parents, and children taken from them forever. This year, and even in just the five months since Buffalo and Uvalde, there are too many mass shootings across America, including ones that don’t even make the national news.”

Biden added that his administration is “working closely” with Gov. Roy Cooper to assist in the investigation.

Chris Seward

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AP

The youngest of five victims killed in a shooting in northeast Raleigh on Thursday evening was James Thompson, a 16-year-old junior at Knightdale High School.

In an online statement to the school’s families, Principal Keith Richardson wrote that the school’s counseling and student services teams and the district crisis team would be on campus Friday and next week.

“It is an unexpected loss and we are saddened by it,” Richardson said. “We all will need time to process the emotions we are feeling right now… These are heavy moments that we will work through together as a school family.”

Another victim was 49-year-old Susan Karnatz. Her husband Tom described her to WRAL as an avid runner, and said they have three children — ages 10, 13 and 14. Karnatz often ran on the greenway.

“She was a very loving wife and amazing mother to our three sons,” Tom Karantz told the AP. “We’re absolutely heartbroken and miss her dearly.”

In the driveway, a silver minivan and a Toyota Camry had matching 26.2 stickers — symbolizing the miles of a marathon. The minivan’s license plate read simply: “RUNNR.”

State senate leader Phil Berger was one of the many local, state and federal politicians to offer condolences after the mass shooting. Berger said he's praying for the families of the victims and that he's thankful for law enforcement keeping people safe.

In a statement, the Wake County Board of Commissioners thanked the public safety agencies that responded to the crime scenes. Wake County EMS had nearly 20 units caring for the injured and transporting them to the hospital for life-saving medical care.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Matt Ramey

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for WUNC

Nicole Connors, 52, was one of five people shot and killed in northeast Raleigh on Thursday night by a 15-year-old white male. Police have the suspect in custody and he is in critical condition.

Woodrow Glass, a 74-year-old retiree, was a neighbor of Connors in the neighborhood where the shooting happened.

“Oh, she’s a great lady," Glass said. "I mean, she was friendly with everybody in the neighborhood, spoke with everybody, had conversations with everybody, and was really respected here. And we’re going to miss her. We’re truly going to miss her.”

Glass said the shooting illustrates the need for policies to keep guns out of the hands of juveniles. While the type of weapon used wasn’t clear, Glass noted that the gun had enough power to cause multiple deaths.

“Why would a kid have a gun like that? That he could cause that many deaths, you know?” Glass said.

Under North Carolina law, crimes committed by a 15-year-old are usually adjudicated in juvenile court. But a juvenile court judge must transfer the case to Superior Court for the youth to be tried as an adult if the 15-year-old is accused of first-degree murder and determines there is probable cause that the suspect committed the crime. Authorities have not commented on what charges the suspect could face.

Candidates for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat that's up for grabs in the November election commented on Twitter about the shooting in Raleigh that killed five people.

"I'm praying for the people injured and killed and their families after tonight’s shooting in Raleigh," Beasley, the Democratic nominee, said in a tweet. "Thank you to the law enforcement and first responders working to keep us safe."

Budd — a Republican who owns the gun shop and shooting range "ProShots" in Rural Hall, N.C. — said, "My prayers are with the victims in Raleigh tonight and we are also praying for the safety of our law enforcement officers on the front lines responding to this ongoing situation."

The two candidates vying for the open seat in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District also tweeted about the shooting.

The 13th District includes some of Raleigh, but not where the shooting took place. That portion of Raleigh is in the 2nd District, which is represented by Democrat Deborah Ross.

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Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson addresses reporters gathered outside the Raleigh Municipal Complex on Friday, October 14, 2022 for updates on the mass shooting that happened late Thursday night in a northeast neighborhood of the city.

Matt Ramey/ For WUNC / For WUNC

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Reporters gather outside the Raleigh Municipal Complex on Friday, October 14, 2022 for updates on the mass shooting that happened late Thursday night in a northeast Raleigh neighborhood.

Matt Ramey/ For WUNC / For WUNC

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Gov. Roy Cooper addresses reporters on Friday, October 14, 2022 with updates on the mass shooting Thursday evening in the city.

Matt Ramey / For WUNC

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Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson answers questions from reporters on Friday, October 14, 2022 after a mass shooting killed five people in the city.

Matt Ramey / For WUNC

At a press conference Friday morning, Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson identified the names of the victims shot and killed by a 15-year-old gunman Thursday evening.

The off-duty Raleigh police officer who was shot and killed was 29-year-old Gabriel Torres. Patterson said he was “on his way to work.” The other victims include Nicole Connors, 52; Mary Marshall, 34; Susan Karnatz, 49; and 16-year-old James Roger Thompson.

Two others were injured. One of them, Raleigh police officer Casey Joseph Clark, has been released from the hospital. The other injured victim – 59-year-old Marcille Lynn Gardner – is in critical condition.

Patterson did also not release the name of the juvenile suspect. The 15-year-old white male is in custody and “in critical condition,” Patterson said. She did not say if a gun had been recovered, how he obtained a firearm, or what a motive might have been.

“My heart is heavy, because we don't have answers as to why this tragedy occurred,” Patterson said. “But what I can tell you is that the Raleigh Police Department and the Raleigh community is resilient, and we stand strong, and we will heal, and we will be stronger as the result of what has occurred.”

Details around the shooting are still unclear, but Patterson said that suspect first began shooting in the streets in the Hedingham neighborhood in northeast Raleigh, and then the suspect fled toward the Neuse River Greenway where other victims were shot. Patterson said the crime scene was “pretty expansive” and spanned over two miles. That area is still roped off as the investigation continues and Patterson is acting the public to stay away from that area.

The first shooting occurred around 5 p.m., and the suspect was apprehended after 9 p.m. Patterson said police were engaged in a “long standoff, a long situation” with the suspect.

“We mourn and share the loss of not only our officer, but all the victims of the senseless gun crime,” Patterson said. “Please keep the families and loved ones of our victims in your hearts and in your prayers. For the Raleigh Police Department, please keep our officers covered and uplifted. And we also want to keep in prayer, the family of the suspect of this tragedy.”

Patterson thanked the Knightdale Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, State Capitol Police, North Carolina Highway Patrol, State Bureau of Investigation, FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshal for assisting in the response and investigation.

Matt Ramey

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For WUNC

Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and Gov. Roy Cooper also spoke at the press conference.

“I saw the faces of Raleigh police officers last night, and their pain was evident,” Cooper said. “Today, we’re sad, we’re angry and we want to know the answers to all the questions. Those questions will be answered – some today and more over time. But I think we all know the core truth… No one should feel this fear in their community. No one. As policy makers, we cannot and will not turn away from what’s happened here.”

Matt Ramey

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For WUNC

The Raleigh shooting was the latest in a violent week across the country.

Five people were killed Sunday in a shooting at a home in Inman, South Carolina. On Wednesday night two police officers were fatally shot in Connecticut after apparently being drawn into an ambush by an emergency call about possible domestic violence. Police officers have been shot this week in Greenville, Mississippi; Decatur, Illinois; Philadelphia, Las Vegas and central Florida. Two of those officers, one in Greenville and one Las Vegas, were killed.

Thursday’s violence was the 25th mass killing in 2022 in which the victims were fatally shot, according to The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings database. A mass killing is defined as when four or more people are killed excluding the perpetrator.

Matt Ramey

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For WUNC

Details are still emerging around the shooting in Raleigh on Thursday that killed five people, and the investigation is ongoing — and will be for some time.

But here's the timeline and details that we know:

The shooting began in the Hedingham neighborhood around 5 p.m.

After the shootings, a massive manhunt followed, as police urged residents in usually quiet neighborhoods to stay indoors. Interstate 5-40 was shut down, and police and emergency vehicles came and went in force at nearby Wake Med Raleigh hospital.

Misinformation spread on social media, sometimes by law enforcement, and was repeated by several media outlets, until the suspected shooter — described only as a white male juvenile — was taken into custody after 9 p.m.

Governor Roy Cooper spoke at a press conference a few hours later.

"Tonight, terror has reached our doorstep," Cooper said. "The nightmare of every community has come to Raleigh."

As of early Friday morning, the names of victims have still not been released, nor was any hint of a reason for this tragedy.

"Again this is still an active investigation," Lt. Jason Borneo of the Raleigh Police Department said. "The reasoning behind their actions is going to come to bear in the coming days.

After expressing support and gratitude for the police, Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin uttered a familiar refrain — one that emerges during and after these near-constant mass shooting events.

"And we must do more," she said. "We must stop this mindless violence in America. We must address gun violence."

If recent history is a guide, that argument will play out in the coming days, with no serious policy changes emerging, even as the inevitable details emerge about this shooter, and how and why he murdered five people so easily, quickly and ruthlessly.

Police departments across the state are offering their public condolences and support after five people — including an off-duty Raleigh police officer — were shot and killed in the Hedingham neighborhood in Raleigh on Thursday.

Jason deBruyn

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WUNC

At a late Thursday night press conference, Gov. Roy Cooper addressed reporters and said “the nightmare of every community has come to Raleigh.”

Police officials said the suspect in custody is a white male juvenile but did not give his age or name. One victim is still in critical condition and one has been released from the hospital, officials said.

Police say they continue to investigate a motive for the shooting.

The next official update will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Brooke Medina was driving home at around 5:15 p.m. when she saw about two dozen police cars, both marked and unmarked, race toward her neighborhood as she got off the highway. She then saw ambulances speeding the other direction, toward the closest hospital.

She and her husband, who was working from home with their four children, started reaching out to neighbors and realized there was a shelter-in-place order.

The family closed all of their window blinds, locked the doors and congregated in an upstairs hallway together, said Medina, who works as a communications vice president at a think tank. Thee family listened to the police scanner and watched local news before going back downstairs once the danger seemed to have moved further away from their home.

“We’re just going to hunker down for the rest of the night and be very vigilant. Keep all of our lights on, doors locked,” she said.

She described Hedingham as a sprawling, dense, tree-lined neighborhood that’s full of single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes that are more moderately priced compared to other parts of the Raleigh area.

Medina said she often takes her kids on bike rides along the greenway during the day, but typically brings pepper spray along just in case.

“There’s a lot of places one could disappear,” she said.

Five people are dead, including a Raleigh police officer, in a shooting that remained active for hours on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters Thursday night, Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin reported the deaths and said two others individuals were injured in the shooting including a Raleigh Police canine officer.

About an hour later, the Raleigh Police Department said the shooting suspect was in custody.

"It's a tragic day because Raleigh Police have lost one of its own," said Baldwin. "I just want to thank the extraordinary officers of the Raleigh Police Department, who even now right now are protecting us and putting themselves in harm's way to arrest the suspect. They care about our great city. They care about people who live here."

Read the full story here.