Days after a mass shooting in Raleigh that took the lives of five people, N.C. Baptist pastors and ministry leaders are ministering to members of the community and others impacted by the deadly tragedy.

N.C. Baptist leaders are offering prayer, access to counseling and other forms of care in the aftermath of the shooting that took place Thursday, Oct. 13, in the Hedingham neighborhood located in northeast Raleigh.

The Raleigh Baptist Association (RBA) hosted a community prayer vigil on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the RBA offices. More than 50 people – including Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson – attended the vigil to pray for those impacted by the shootings.

RBA Executive Director Patrick Fuller organized the vigil to show “unity and support” for the families of the victims, police, first responders and members of the Hedingham community.

The RBA has also worked with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSC) and other area churches to provide counseling vouchers and meals to law enforcement officers and other emergency response personnel.

BSC Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Unzicker called the shootings “heartbreaking” and praised the response by area churches and ministry leaders.

“The senseless tragedy that struck Raleigh’s Hedingham community is heartbreaking,” Unzicker said. “Residents across the Triangle and around the state are mourning the loss of five precious souls made in God’s image.

“We continue to pray for everyone affected, asking God for comfort and justice. N.C. Baptists have extended offers of support for the incredible response efforts by the Raleigh Baptist Association and area churches. Our staff stands ready and willing to assist in any way we can.”

The RBA is also working with area churches to coordinate other service opportunities. 

As news about the shootings spread, Fuller said the RBA immediately began working with the Baptist State Convention and area churches to minister and serve those who were impacted.

“Over the weekend, prayers and words of support have come from Baptist associations and churches around the state for the families of the victims, the friends, the communities and the churches that have been affected,” Fuller said. “I am grateful for the prayers of God’s people as we seek to walk in unity, stand in faith and honor our Lord in this time of trial.”

Fuller said pastors and members of area churches have committed to prayerwalk the Hedingham neighborhood in one hour blocks each day over the coming weeks.

Ed Davis, a church planter who has lived in the Hedingham neighborhood for more than 11 years, said he has already been reaching out to friends and neighbors in the community.

“I’ve just been seeing if I can talk with folks to see where they are and how they are doing,” Davis said. “I want to let them know that I would love to talk with them if they need to talk and would love to pray with them.”

Davis, who is planting Missio Dei Church out of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, said he doesn’t know or have any direct connections with any families of the victims, but he is hoping to reach out and minister to them, if possible.

Davis lives on Sapphire Valley Drive, a few streets over from Osprey Cove Drive, which is where the first reports of the shooting were made. The Neuse River Greenway Trail, where other victims were shot and killed, runs near Davis’ home.

Davis described Hedingham as a middle-class neighborhood with a mixture of single family homes and townhouses nestled around a golf course and the adjacent greenway trail where many members of the community are active. 

“It’s surreal that something like this would happen here,” Davis said. “A mass shooting in Hedingham is surreal. It reveals how much we need Jesus Christ.”

Jarrod Scott, pastor of Green Pines Baptist Church in nearby Knightdale, said he and members of his congregation often use the Neuse River Greenway Trail, and his church frequently conducts baptisms in the Neuse River near the location where the suspect was apprehended.

Green Pines Baptist Church is located about three or four miles from Hedingham. Scott has made the church available for grief counseling and other ministry and outreach activities. While no members of Green Pines live in Hedingham or have any direct connections to the victims, Scott said some members do have other connections with Hedingham residents. Scott said he’s encouraging them to consider how God might use them to serve and minister to others during this time.

“God’s going to use this, and He’s going to work through the tragedy in our community,” Scott said. “And it may be that you are part of that hope and solution for our community.”

On the Sunday after the shooting, Scott and other leaders at Green Pines Baptist Church referenced the tragedy directly or indirectly several times throughout that morning’s worship service.

Church members offered prayers for victims’ families and the community at large. Scott referenced the incident several times throughout his sermon, which was based on the life of Joseph in Genesis 40. The sermon’s themes served as a reminder that God’s people are not exempt from the tragic effects of sin and living in a fallen and broken world.

Scott read the names of each of the five victims, who ranged in age from 16 to 52. They are: Nicole Connors, 52; Susan Karnatz, 49; Mary Marshall, 35; Raleigh police officer Gabriel Torres, 29; and James Thompson, 16.

“All of these and their families are experiencing acutely what it is to live in a world that’s failed,” Scott said. “But we believe in a King who works through failure.”

Two other people were injured in the shooting. They are: Raleigh police officer Casey Clark, 33; and Marcille Gardner, 59.

One of the entrances to the Hedingham community has become a growing memorial to the victims, with photos of the deceased on display along with crosses bearing their names. Two large floral wreaths flank a sign announcing the entrance to the community. One, shaped like a heart, reads “Loved Ones,” and the other reads “#RaleighStrong.” Bouquets, flowers, candles and other mementos also cover the sign and ground below it.

A neighborhood clubhouse near the memorial site hosted a community vigil on Saturday, Oct. 15, where more than 100 people came together to honor the victims. Representatives from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s rapid response team who deployed to the neighborhood following the shootings said chaplains talked and prayed with several people after the vigil.

“The community is obviously hurting, and we’ve been able to pray for a lot of people, hear their stories and offer a ministry of presence to them,” said Jennifer Metallo, a chaplain coordinator with the Billy Graham association.

The vigil canceled a fall festival that had previously been scheduled for Hedingham residents on Saturday. Davis said he and other ministry leaders are working with community officials to try to sponsor and host a fall festival for the neighborhood at a later date as a way to show the community they care.

Raleigh police officials say the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Although police have not released the name of the suspect who has been taken into custody related to the shootings, multiple media outlets have reported that the alleged gunman is Austin Thompson, a 15-year-old student at Knightdale High School and the brother of victim Justin Thompson.

Multiple media outlets have also reported that Austin Thompson is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries at a Triangle-area hospital. It’s unclear if the suspect’s injuries were self-inflicted or occurred during a standoff with police before he was taken into custody.

On Tuesday, Oct. 18, Alan and Elise Thompson, parents of the suspected shooter, released a written statement. They wrote:

“Words cannot begin to describe our anguish and sorrow.

“Our son Austin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community, and we are overcome with grief for the innocent lives lost. 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.

“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.

“We have so many unanswered questions. 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.”

Although no motive has been given for the shootings, Brian Davis, director of community and congregation engagement for Atrium Health’s Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s FaithHealth Division, said the incident is a reminder for parents and caregivers to be actively involved in the lives of their children.

Brian Davis said counseling services and other resources are available through CareNet, an affiliate of Wake Forest Baptist Health which operates 30 counseling centers in eight different regions across the state, serving 80 N.C. counties. Clients may also access counseling services by phone or video conferencing options. More information is available by visiting carenetnc.org.

CareNet’s services can provide parents with tips and resources for identifying signs of anxiety, depression or other behavioral and mental health needs, Brian Davis said.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – This story was updated on Oct. 19 with details about a prayer vigil hosted by the Raleigh Baptist Association. This story may be updated as additional information becomes available.)