RALEIGH, NC — A 57-year-old woman shot two attorneys outside the Wake County Courthouse on Friday morning after becoming belligerent during a civil court hearing, then leaving to retrieve a handgun from her vehicle before attacking them in an alley.
Gwendolyn White of Raleigh faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley, attorneys with the Fox Rothschild law firm who were representing the Rolesville Police Department in a four-year-old body camera footage case. The attack occurred just after 10:30 a.m. outside the Old Wake County Courthouse in downtown Raleigh, forcing both county courthouses to close for the remainder of the day while police investigated.
The shooting unfolded after a contentious hearing on the 10th floor of the courthouse, where White had been involved in the same civil lawsuit as the victims. “The suspect became belligerent in court,” Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said during a Friday afternoon press conference. After the court case ended, White left the building, went to her car to retrieve a handgun, then returned to wait for the attorneys. When Harris and Whitley exited the courthouse into an alley between the county building and the federal courthouse, White approached them and opened fire. “When deputies and officers came out of the courthouse, they encountered an adult female who was in possession of a handgun. That female was taken into custody,” Boyce said.
Court documents reveal the case involved officer-worn body camera video from the Rolesville Police Department, with filings showing the hearing was particularly emotional for White because she claimed the video contents were connected to her mother’s death last year. Harris, an associate with Fox Rothschild, and Whitley, counsel for the firm, had been representing the police department in the civil matter for the national law firm that has represented Rolesville for decades. Both victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were transported to a local hospital, where Harris underwent surgery. Harris’s father told WRAL News that his daughter was in stable condition and recovering Friday evening, while Whitley was reported in stable condition. White was also taken to a hospital for treatment, though police have not disclosed why she required medical attention.
The violence sent shockwaves through downtown Raleigh, where witnesses inside the courthouse described hearing gunshots and seeing deputies rush to windows overlooking the crime scene. Defense attorney Lee Turner was in a nearby courtroom when he heard a deputy’s radio crackle with “shots fired.” “Everybody in the courtroom started going towards the window. And we could see all the deputies running,” Turner said. Angel Rivera, another person in court, said he looked out and “could see the lady that was laying down.” The shooting blocked several downtown streets for hours as investigators processed the scene, with police taping off a car bearing the vanity plate “WH1TE” that was linked to the alleged shooter. “A lot of people are not happy when their cases don’t turn out the way they want it,” Turner observed. “You have to wonder if they’re going to walk out to their car and wait for that lawyer to walk out of the courthouse.”
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said White’s charges represent the “beginning of the judicial process,” with prosecutors working “diligently to seek justice in the matter.” Freeman noted that threats against courts, judges and attorneys “have become too common,” emphasizing that courts “are designed to be the place in our society where conflict is addressed in a peaceful and constructive way.” Incoming District Attorney Wiley Nickel called for increased investment in public safety around the courthouse, saying Wake County’s rapid growth necessitates “additional officers downtown and around the courthouse.” Congresswoman Deborah Ross expressed support for her staff working nearby and constituents who witnessed the “traumatic event,” while calling for common-sense gun safety measures in response to what she described as “one of far too many attacks across our country made more dangerous by the presence of a firearm.”
Fox Rothschild’s leadership team traveled to their Raleigh office to provide on-site support following the attack on their colleagues. “First and foremost, our thoughts are with our colleagues and their loved ones. We are doing everything possible to support them,” said Todd A. Rodriguez, the firm’s managing partner. “We cannot adequately express our deep sadness and concern. The safety and well-being of our people is our highest priority.” The Town of Rolesville issued a statement expressing sadness that attorneys representing them in the civil matter were shot, calling the incident “deeply disturbing” while thanking first responders “who provided life-saving care and apprehended a suspect.” The municipality noted that while Fox Rothschild attorneys are not town employees, the firm has represented Rolesville for decades.
The investigation remained active Friday evening as police continued processing evidence from the crime scene. Street closures around the courthouse area lingered into the evening, with authorities advising drivers to avoid eastbound Martin Street from Dawson Street, southbound Salisbury Street at Martin Street, and several other intersections in the downtown core. Both Wake County courthouses remained closed following the attack, disrupting court proceedings and leaving some people temporarily unable to access their vehicles due to the police perimeter. White remains hospitalized while facing the attempted murder charges, with court proceedings expected to begin once she is medically cleared for transport.
