North Carolina woman sued the police after her mother died, but after one bad day in court, she decided to solve her grievance with a gun

Gwendolyn White, a 57-year-old resident of Raleigh, is currently facing two counts of attempted murder after she allegedly opened fire on two attorneys outside of the old Wake County Courthouse in Rolesville, North Carolina on Friday morning. The incident resulted in both legal professionals being struck by gunfire while they were leaving the building.

The two attorneys targeted in the shooting have been identified as Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley, of the national law firm Fox Rothschild. According to the NY Post, they were representing the Rolesville Police Department in a long-standing civil matter involving police-worn body camera video. This case was deeply personal for White, as court filings indicate the footage was linked to the death of her mother in 2025.

According to Raleigh Chief of Police Rico Boyce, White “became belligerent in court” before exiting the building. After leaving the courthouse, police say she retrieved a handgun from her vehicle and proceeded to spray bullets at the two attorneys as they walked through an alley. Investigators noted that all three individuals had been in the same 10th-floor courtroom just hours before the shooting unfolded outside.

The case that upset her has been dragging on for a long time

Per ABC11 News, the dispute actually dates back to March 2021, when officers from the Rolesville Police Department responded to a verbal altercation between White and two of her neighbors. While police determined at the time that no crime had occurred, the situation spiraled into a series of legal filings. 

White requested body camera footage from the interaction in February 2022. Although the recordings were eventually located in April 2022, court documents indicate that she did not actually receive the footage until this year. She believed that the footage would show the injuries her mother faced, which eventually led to her death.

White’s frustration with the process appears to have been mounting for quite some time. She filed a motion of contempt against the police department regarding the delay in receiving the video. In January 2026, a judge ruled that while the department was required to provide the footage, they were not in contempt of court. 

Records show that White received the video two days after that ruling. Not satisfied with the outcome, she filed another motion the following day, which led to Friday’s fateful hearing. That hearing was intended to determine if her case should be reinstated after a judge dismissed it in January. It should be noted that White has filed more than a dozen civil cases since 2022.

The aftermath of the shooting has left the community in shock. Mary Harris’ father confirmed that she underwent surgery and is currently in stable condition, though the condition of Jeffrey Whitley remains unclear. The town of Rolesville also issued a statement regarding the incident, noting that Fox Rothschild has represented the municipality for decades. 

“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. Fox Rothschild has represented the Town of Rolesville for decades, and while they are not employees of the Town, this incident is deeply disturbing,” the statement read. 

They continued to say, “We are thankful to the first responders who provided life-saving care and apprehended a suspect. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.”

Sheriff Willie Rowe of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office also addressed the situation. “While this shooting did not occur in a Wake County facility, the safety of our courthouses, our staff, and every member of the public who enters the buildings remains our highest priority,” he said. He added, “Our deputies ran towards the gunfire and responded quickly to help apprehend the suspected person responsible and render aid to the victims.”

White was denied bond and is expected to return to court on May 26. While the investigation into the incident is ongoing with the Raleigh Police Department and the assistance of the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, authorities have yet to release a definitive motive for the attack. 

White is currently hospitalized, though officials have not disclosed the reason for her hospitalization.