Woman Shoots Two Attorneys Outside Courthouse Over Civil Case

A North Carolina courthouse was thrown into chaos Friday morning after a woman allegedly opened fire on two attorneys moments after a civil court case came to an end.

The shocking scene unfolded outside the Old Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh just after 10:30 a.m., according to police.

Authorities say 57-year-old Gwendolyn White had been involved in a civil lawsuit and became “belligerent in court” before the violence spilled outside.

The two people shot were attorneys representing the town of Rolesville in the same lawsuit, the town said.

Police Chief Rico Boyce said the case had just ended when White allegedly left the courthouse, got into her vehicle, and then returned.

That is when authorities say she got out of the vehicle, walked toward the two attorneys, and shot them both.

“When deputies and officers came out of the courthouse, they encountered an adult female who was in possession of a handgun,” Boyce said during a Friday press conference. “That female was taken into custody.”

Officers also found two adult victims suffering from gunshot wounds.

Both attorneys were rushed to a local hospital. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Police have not released details about what the civil lawsuit involved, only saying the court proceeding had taken place on the 10th floor of the old courthouse and included all parties connected to the case.

“There was some court case here in the old courthouse on the 10th floor with all the parties involved,” Boyce said. “The suspect in this case became belligerent in court.”

White was also taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said. Attempted murder charges are pending.

The shooting forced both Wake County courthouses to close for the rest of the day as investigators worked the scene and tried to determine exactly what led to the terrifying outburst.

For courthouse workers, attorneys, and bystanders, the frightening episode turned what should have been the end of a civil case into a shocking crime scene right outside the courthouse doors.