Two attorneys were shot outside the Wake County Courthouse in downtown Raleigh on Friday following a court hearing, according to police. Gwendolyn White, 57, is in custody and facing attempted murder charges. Police say all three individuals involved were connected to a civil court case scheduled that day.
The shooting occurred shortly after a court proceeding when White left the courthouse, retrieved a handgun from her car, and approached the two attorneys in an alley before opening fire. Officers and deputies nearby quickly took her into custody. Both victims, identified as Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley, were taken to the hospital, though their conditions remain undisclosed. White was also hospitalized, though the reason is unclear.
The civil lawsuit involved the town of Rolesville, where the attorneys were representing the town, according to the town's officials. Police Chief Rico Boyce described White as becoming "belligerent in court" before the shooting. The alley where the incident occurred has since reopened, and no visible evidence of bullet damage remained by Friday afternoon. Both Wake County courthouses were closed for the remainder of the day.
Witnesses inside the courthouse described the scene as unsettling, with one stating, "This is very wild, especially with it happening while we were in family court." Another added, "To be here when something like this happens is kind of unsettling." Authorities have not yet revealed the specifics of the civil lawsuit or what led to the altercation.