Raleigh Courthouse Shooting Leaves Two Attorneys Wounded — The Shooting
Two attorneys representing the Rolesville Police Department were shot outside the old Wake County courthouse in downtown Raleigh on Friday morning, and Gwendolyn White, 57, now faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder. The shooting sent Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley into emergency care after they left the building.
Raleigh Chief of Police Rico Boyce said, “The suspect became belligerent in court,” before White left the courthouse, returned to her car, got a handgun and shot at the attorneys as they exited the building. Harris is an associate at Fox Rothschild, and Whitley is counsel there.
White and the hearing
Court records show the Fox Rothschild lawyers were representing Rolesville Police in a 4-year-old case involving officer-worn body camera video. Court filings say the hearing was emotional for White because she believed the contents of the video were linked to her mother’s death last year. The shootings happened outside the courthouse as that hearing unfolded.
The Town of Rolesville said the attorneys were shot outside the Wake County Courthouse on Friday morning. It said Fox Rothschild has represented the town for decades and described the shooting as deeply disturbing, while thanking first responders who provided life-saving care and apprehended a suspect.
Fox Rothschild in Raleigh
Fox Rothschild said its leadership team traveled to its Raleigh office on Friday to provide on-the-ground support. In its statement, the firm said, “First and foremost, our thoughts are with our colleagues and their loved ones. We are doing everything possible to support them.”
Later on Friday, Harris’ father told WRAL News that his daughter was in stable condition and recovering from surgery early Friday evening. That left the courthouse case tied not only to criminal charges, but to two attorneys now recovering from gunshot wounds.
Wake County charges
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said White’s charges are the “beginning of the judicial process,” and incoming District Attorney Wiley Nickel said the courthouse should be “a safe place for victims, witnesses, law enforcement, court employees, and all those seeking justice.” The case now moves through that process with White charged and the two attorneys identified in the shooting.
