Parents of suspected Raleigh shooter are 'overcome with grief'

The parents of the suspected Raleigh shooter said in a statement released Tuesday that they are "overcome with grief" following their 15-year-old son's rampage last week, which resulted in the deaths of their other teenage son and four adults.

“Words cannot begin to describe our anguish and sorrow," said the parents, according to NBC affiliate WRAL of Raleigh.

They said their son "inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community, and we are overcome with grief for the innocent lives lost."

NBC News is not identifying the parents or the suspected shooter because he is a minor. The suspect also has not been publicly identified by Raleigh police.

The Oct. 13 shooting unfolded after 5 p.m. in a neighborhood northeast of central Raleigh and prompted warnings for residents to stay inside. The crime scene stretched over two miles, Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said last week.

Police took the suspect into custody after a "long standoff." He remains in critical condition, according to Julia Milstead, a spokesperson for the city.

The parents said they are praying for the families of the victims: Nicole Conners, 52; Susan Karnatz, 49; Mary Marshall, 35, who was planning to get married this month; and off-duty Raleigh police Officer Gabriel Torres, 29, who was on his way to work.

The parents of the suspected shooter added that they are also mourning the loss of their other teenage son and praying for two victims who were injured — Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark, 33, who was treated and released from a hospital; and Marcille Gardner, 59, who was in critical condition as of Saturday, according to Milstead.

The parents added they are also praying for "everyone who was traumatized by these senseless acts of violence." 

The parents said they "have so many unanswered questions," adding that "there were never any indications or warning signs that [our son] 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," they continued.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman has previously said prosecutors intend to charge the shooter as an adult.

The statement notes that the parents are not planning to speak with the media.

Lawyers for the parents could not immediately be reached Wednesday.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called the shooting spree “the nightmare of every community.”

President Joe Biden said in a statement Friday he is grieving alongside the families whose loved ones were killed.

“Jill and I are grieving with the families in Raleigh, North Carolina, whose loved ones were killed and wounded in yet another mass shooting in America,” Biden said. “We are thinking of yet another community shaken and shattered as they mourn the loss of friends and neighbors, including an off-duty police officer.”

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