On this day two years ago, a woman lights a candle at Beacon Baptist Church to honor Hedingham victims. Photo: Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images
Sunday marked the two-year anniversary of the day five people were killed in a mass shooting in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood.
The big picture: Survivors and victims' families are still awaiting justice, as the alleged shooter, Austin Thompson, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, awaits trial set for September 2025.
Meantime, the two survivors and families of four of those killed filed a lawsuit early this month against Thompson, his parents, Hedingham's homeowners' association and a private policing agency that plaintiffs said were responsible for neighborhood security.
Zoom in: The lawsuit alleges that mounting criminal activity and a lack of security in the neighborhood culminated into the mass shooting.
Several residents also complained to the HOA specifically about Thompson, the lawsuit notes.
What they're saying: "[A] day or two before the Hedingham Shooting, I saw Austin transporting backpacks full of stuff," one resident said, per the complaint.
"I thought it was very strange that he was doing that. I remember I alerted the HOA of Austin's suspicious behavior, but to my knowledge, the HOA never followed up on it."
