The parents of a 15-year-old accused of killing five people in North Carolina last week say they’re devastated by the loss of innocent lives.
“Words cannot begin to describe our anguish and sorrow,” Alan and Elise Thompson said in a statement through their attorneys
“Our son Austin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community, and we are overcome with grief for the innocent lives lost,” the hi parents said.
“We pray for the families and loved ones of Nicole Conners, Susan Karnatz, Mary Marshall, and Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres. We mourn for their loss and for the loss of our son, James,” the statement continued.
“We pray that Marcille “Lynn” Gardner and Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark fully recover from their injuries, and we pray for everyone who was traumatized by these senseless acts of violence.”
According to the non-profit Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 546 mass shootings in the US this year. That’s an average of more than 1.8 mass shootings every day.
