A woman is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder after police say she shot two attorneys outside the old Wake County courthouse in downtown Raleigh on Friday morning.
Raleigh Chief of Police Rico Boyce said the suspect, Gwendolyn White, and the victims were in the same courtroom Friday morning.
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"The suspect became belligerent in court," Boyce said.
After White left the courthouse, Boyce said, she returned to her car, got a handgun and shot at the attorneys as they exited the building.
Cell phone video shows Raleigh police taking White, 57, into custody outside the courthouse after the shooting.
She was later taken to a local hospital, but officials have not said exactly why.
>> Lawyers shot outside courthouse in Raleigh were representing Rolesville police in body camera case
The two people shot -- Mary Harris and Jeffery Whitley -- worked for Fox Rothschild law firm. Court records show the Fox Rothschild attorneys were representing the Rolesville Police Department in a 4-year-old case involving officer-worn body camera video.
Court filings show why the hearing was so emotional to White. She claims the contents of the video were linked to her mother's death last year.
Chaos inside, outside downtown Raleigh courthouse
On Broadcastify radio traffic, first responders could be heard describing a pair of victims with multiple gunshot wounds. Police said the woman was taken into surgery, and the man was in stable condition.
Inside and outside the courthouse, witnesses heard the shots and saw the aftermath of the attack.
Defense attorney Lee Turner said he overheard the "shots fired" call come in on a deputy's radio. He wasn't immediatly sure whether the danger was inside or out.
Then Turner said, "He says, 'I think it’s out on the street,' so everybody in the courtroom started going towards the window. And we could see all the deputies running."
Turner is aware that the courthouse can be the scene of high emotions, and those bring a threat of the type of violence that played out Friday morning.
"A lot of people are not happy when their cases don't turn out the way they want it to," he said.
"When you hear those threats or you hear someone arguing in the lobby with their lawyer -- which that does happen a lot -- 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."
"When you hear those threats or you hear someone arguing in the lobby with their lawyer -- which that does happen a lot -- 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."Lee Turner, defense attorney
Angel Rivera was in court when he heard the shots ring out.
"Police rushed to the door, so we got up and looked out the window. From the window I was at, you could see the lady that was laying down," he said.
"We were sitting in court and then all you hear is a bunch of sirens and ambulances and a bunch of ruckus going around through the courtroom. It was wild," another man said.
Another witness told WRAL News that he saw the shooting take place in an alley between the Wake County Courthouse and the federal building.
Another person told WRAL they were exercising at a gym nearby when shots rang out.
"It's a crazy world, you have to be aware of your surroundings," that person said. "I'm hoping those who got shot survived. God bless them."
Shooting investigation paralyzes downtown Raleigh
Other buildings in the area tightened security after the shooting, allowing only those with identification inside.
Police taped off a car with a vanity plate that read "WH1TE," that could be linked to the alleged shooter.
People in downtown Raleigh were trapped because the police investigation blocked their access to their cars.
Street closures in downtown Raleigh could linger into the evening.
Drivers are asked to avoid
- Eastbound Martin Street from Dawson Street, McDowell Street, and Salisbury Street
- Southbound Salisbury Street at Martin Street
- Westbound Martin Street at Fayetteville Street
- Northbound at Davie Street and Fayetteville Street