The victims killed in a shooting spree in Raleigh, North Carolina, included a young bride-to-be who was walking her dog — along with a mom-of-three whose husband shared a heartbreaking tribute mourning all of their plans for the future together that have been “laid to waste.”
Mary Marshall, 34, had been taking out her pooch when a 15-year-old gunman allegedly killed her and four other people Thursday evening, according to her fiancé, Robert Steele.
“The love of my life, Mary Marshall, was killed last night by a cowardly individual,” Steele wrote on Facebook on Friday.
“She was shot while walking our dog. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do. My world has been completely destroyed…”
Police also identified the other victims Friday as Officer Gabriel Torres, 29: Nicole Conners, 52; Susan Karnatz, 49; and James Roger Thompson, 16.
Marcille Lynn Gardner, 59, was wounded and remained hospitalized in critical condition. A K-9 police officer, Casey Joseph Clark, 33, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from the hospital.
Police said the juvenile suspect, who has not been named, also sustained serious injuries under unknown circumstances and remained in the hospital in critical condition.
In the hours after the shooting, Thomas Karnatz, 52, shared a heartbreaking and poetic tribute on his Facebook page mourning his wife, Susan.
“We had big plans together and we had little plans together,” he wrote. “We had plans together for big adventures and plans together for the mundane days in between.
“We had plans together with the boys and we had plans together as empty nesters
We had plans together for growing old. Alway(s) together. Now those plans are laid to waste.”
According to Susan and Thomas’ social media pages, the couple had been together for about 18 years and share three sons. Both are avid runners who have taken part in multiple marathons.
Meanwhile, neighbors of victim Nicole Conners remembered her as a “great lady.”
“I mean, she was friendly with everybody in the neighborhood, spoke with everybody, had conversations with everybody, and was really respected here,” said neighbor Woodrow Glass, a 74-year-old retiree. “And we’re going to miss her. We’re truly going to miss her.”
The incident began unfolding at 5 p.m. Thursday when the gunman opened fire in the 6000 block of Osprey Cove Drive, killing two people, before running onto the Neuse River Greenway where he shot dead three others.
The shootings set off a massive police response and hours-long manhunt, with police scouring an area of more than 2 miles before cornering and arresting the 15-year-old suspect after 9:30 p.m.
With Post Wires
