A tense courtroom hearing in North Carolina ended in violence when a woman allegedly opened fire on two attorneys representing the opposing side in her civil lawsuit, police said.
Gwendolyn E. White, 57, of Raleigh, is charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly shooting lawyers Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley outside the Wake County Courthouse, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce told reporters Friday.
The shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. in downtown Raleigh shortly after a civil hearing involving White and the town of Rolesville, after White allegedly became “belligerent” during the hearing and was asked to leave the old Wake County courthouse, Boyce said.
White left the courthouse, returned in her vehicle and allegedly opened fire on the two attorneys outside the building, Boyce said.
Harris and Whitley, attorneys with the Raleigh office of Fox Rothschild, who represented the town in the case, were found suffering from gunshot wounds and were transported to a local hospital. Boyce said he did not know the extent of their injuries.
Law enforcement officers at the scene immediately took White into custody. The shooting prompted a lockdown of the courthouse and closures of several downtown Raleigh streets as police investigated.
“We are saddened to learn that two attorneys representing the Town of Rolesville in a civil matter were shot outside the Wake County Courthouse this morning,” the town of Rolesville said in a statement.
“Fox Rothschild has represented the Town of Rolesville for decades, and while they are not employees of the Town, this incident is deeply disturbing. We are thankful to the first responders who provided life-saving care and apprehended a suspect. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.”
According to Fox Rothschild’s website, Harris graduated from North Carolina State University in 2019 and earned her law degree from Campbell University in 2022. She previously served as managing editor of the Campbell Law Observer and has twice been recognized as a “Rising Star” for civil litigation by North Carolina Super Lawyers.
Whitley earned degrees in psychology and public administration from Florida State University in 2002 before graduating from Duke University School of Law in 2013, according to his firm profile. Before joining Fox Rothschild, he worked as an associate at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP.
It remains unclear whether any ruling was issued in the underlying civil case before the shooting.
White is being held in the custody of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office without bond, according to court records. She is scheduled to appear in court on the criminal charges May 26.
