RALEIGH, N.C. — A report detailing the investigation into the deadly mass shooting in Raleigh is expected to be released to the public Thursday, according to city officials.
The five-day report is a standard practice for officer-involved shootings and is meant to address the circumstances of the mass shooting, and what might have led to the Oct. 13 incident that left five residents dead and two injured, city officials said.
The State Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the officers who discharged their weapons during the incident, Police Chief Estella Patterson said Tuesday.
Police have not released many details about the shooting and how it transpired. Here are some of the big questions the report might answer:
—Was there a motive?
—What weapons were used in the shooting?
—How did the suspect get access to the weapons?
—What was the sequence of events?
—What occurred during the standoff between officers and the suspect?
—Did officers exchange gunfire with the suspect?
The document will be released by the city of Raleigh, not the city’s Police Department, and will be available in a PDF file online.
On Tuesday afternoon, the parents of the 15-year-old suspect, Alan and Elise Thompson, released a statement saying they were “overcome with grief” because of their son’s violence. Their son, James, 16, was the youngest victim.
“There were never any indications or warning signs that Austin was capable of doing anything like this. Our family will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials and do whatever we can to help them understand why and how this happened,” the statement read.
The community continues to mourn the deaths of victims Mary Marshall, Nicole Connors, Susan Karnatz, James Thompson and Gabriel Torres. The two injured victims, Raleigh Police Officer Casey Joseph Clark and Marcille Gardner, are making improvements in their recovery.
A vigil in downtown Raleigh is planned Sunday at 3 p.m. in front of Raleigh Memorial Auditorium on 2 E. South St.
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