Gwendolyn E. White Charged With Attempted Murder After Two Fox Rothschild Attorneys Shot Outside Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh

Two attorneys representing the Rolesville Police Department were shot Friday morning outside the old Wake County Courthouse in downtown Raleigh following a civil court hearing tied to allegations of deleted police evidence, according to authorities.

Raleigh police said 57-year-old Gwendolyn E. White is in custody and faces two counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting.

Investigators said the incident happened shortly after a court proceeding on Friday morning involving a long-running civil case connected to officer-worn body camera footage and police records involving the Rolesville Police Department.

According to police, White left the courthouse after the hearing, went to her vehicle to retrieve a handgun, then approached two attorneys in an alley near the courthouse before opening fire.

Officers and deputies who were already nearby quickly responded and took White into custody moments after the shooting. Video obtained by ABC11 showed officers escorting White away from the scene following the incident.

The two victims were identified in court records as attorneys Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley, both employed by Fox Rothschild LLP, a national law firm with offices in Raleigh. Both attorneys were transported to the hospital for treatment. Officials have not publicly released details about their conditions.

One victim’s father told WRAL News that his daughter underwent surgery following the shooting and requested that her condition remain private.

Police said all three individuals involved in the shooting were connected to the same civil lawsuit, which had been scheduled for a hearing Friday morning in Wake County court.

Court records show Harris and Whitley represented the Rolesville Police Department in a four-year-old legal dispute involving officer body camera footage and allegations surrounding police records.

Before the shooting, White publicly accused Rolesville Police officials of deleting evidence connected to incidents involving her family.

In a social media post, White alleged that Rolesville Police Chief David Simmons ordered the deletion of recordings, CAD reports, and body camera videos connected to what she described as multiple crimes involving her family dating back to 2019.

White claimed the department had been ordered by a Superior Court judge to provide hundreds of CAD reports and dozens of body camera recordings but instead submitted an affidavit allegedly stating the records had been deleted.

She also accused one of the attorneys involved in the case of improper ex parte communication with the judge, a legal term referring to communication with the court without the opposing party present.

Authorities have not confirmed White’s allegations regarding deleted evidence or misconduct by the police department or attorneys.

Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce confirmed the shooting stemmed from parties involved in the civil matter but declined to release additional details as the investigation remains ongoing.

Witnesses inside the courthouse described panic and confusion following the gunfire.

“This is very wild, especially with it happening while we were in family court,” courthouse visitor Securia Stedman told ABC11.

“To be here when something like this happens is kind of unsettling,” added Indya Strickland.

The alley where the shooting occurred remained closed for several hours while investigators processed the scene before reopening later Friday afternoon. Authorities said no visible bullet damage remained at the location by the end of the investigation.

Both Wake County courthouses were closed for the remainder of the day following the shooting.

Fox Rothschild managing partner Todd A. Rodriguez released a statement expressing concern for the injured attorneys and gratitude toward first responders.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with our colleagues and their loved ones,” Rodriguez said. “We are doing everything possible to support them. We are grateful to the first responders and courthouse personnel who acted quickly to come to their aid.”

He added that the firm’s leadership traveled to Raleigh to support employees following the shooting.

Police also confirmed that White remains hospitalized, though authorities have not stated why.

The investigation into the downtown Raleigh courthouse shooting remains active.