Police identify Raleigh mass shooting suspect as 15-year-old boy

Police said a 15-year-old boy was responsible for the mass shooting that killed five people and injured two others in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday evening.  

The shooter opened fire at around 5 p.m. on Thursday in a residential neighborhood of Hedingham, northeast of downtown Raleigh.

The suspect first shot a relative inside their home. He then went outside and shot two women on the street before fleeing to the Neuse River Greenway Trail, where he continued shooting.

Before getting on the trail, he shot an off-duty police officer. Once on the trail, he opened fire once more, killing two and injuring two others.

The teenager eluded the police for hours, setting off a manhunt before he was finally cornered in a home and arrested, said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson.

The suspect was hospitalized after his arrest and is in critical condition, Patterson added. Police have not said how he was injured.

As of Friday, police had not determined a motive for the attack and have not released the 15-year-old’s identity.

"Today we're sad, we're angry and we want to know the answers to all the questions," Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday morning. "I think we all know the core truth—no neighborhood, no parent, no child, no grandparent, no one should feel this fear in their communities—no one."

The victims ranged from 16 to their late 50s. They were gunned down while doing their normal, everyday activities: one was walking her dog, another was exercising, and yet another was talking to a neighbor on her porch.

Under North Carolina law, crimes committed by 15-year-olds are usually adjudicated in juvenile court. However, if the teen can be charged as an adult and accused of first-degree murder.