Grand jury indicts woman accused of shooting two lawyers outside Wake County Courthouse, records show

Note: The accompanying video shows previous coverage from a June 15 court hearing involving the woman accused in last month’s shooting outside the Wake County Courthouse.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A grand jury has indicted a woman accused of shooting two attorneys outside the Wake County Courthouse in downtown Raleigh last month.

Court records show 57-year-old Gwendolyn Evette White was indicted Monday on multiple felony charges stemming from the May 22 shooting.

White faces the following charges:

• Two counts of attempted murder
• Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury
• Two counts of assault inflicting serious bodily injury

According to investigators, officers with the Raleigh Police Department responded around 10:30 a.m. on May 22 to the 300 block of Fayetteville Street near the courthouse after reports of a shooting.

Authorities said attorneys Jeffrey Whitley and Mary Harris, both with the law firm Fox Rothschild, suffered gunshot wounds during the attack and were transported to a hospital. Officials later said both attorneys were expected to recover.

Court records show Whitley and Harris were representing the Town of Rolesville in an ongoing civil lawsuit filed by White at the time of the shooting.

According to an arrest affidavit, investigators believe the shooting occurred shortly after a hearing connected to that case. White had just left the hearing when she allegedly retrieved a firearm from her vehicle parked near the courthouse.

Surveillance video reportedly captured White jogging toward the attorneys as they walked through an alleyway near the courthouse before opening fire, according to investigators.

The affidavit states a federal agent confronted White moments after the shooting and took her into custody at the scene.

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Investigators later executed a search warrant at White’s home on Nurture Avenue in Raleigh, seeking evidence related to the shooting and any potential planning or premeditation, court documents show.

According to an inventory filed with the warrant return, officers seized two rifles, flash drives, documents, a notebook and photographs from the residence.

Previously obtained search warrant documents also revealed White had recently been the subject of a Raleigh Police Department patrol advisory after investigators said she allegedly made threats during a phone call to a medical facility. The affidavit stated White was believed to be experiencing a severe mental health crisis and had an extensive mental health history documented by Raleigh police. The warrant did not identify the medical facility or provide additional details about the alleged threats.

White has been held without bond at the Wake County Detention Center since her arrest, court documents show.

Earlier this week, White’s defense team told a Wake County judge they were attempting to transfer her to a mental health facility, citing medical concerns. The request followed a motion filed shortly after her arrest seeking a determination of her capacity to proceed in court.

According to that motion, White told authorities she does not remember the shooting and made several statements that raised concerns about her competency. Court records show a judge ordered White to be committed to Central Regional Hospital in Butner for up to 60 days for a competency evaluation. But as of Monday, court records indicated she remains in custody at the Wake County Detention Center.

Earlier court records show White’s legal dispute with the Town of Rolesville dates back to 2021, following an altercation involving neighbors and the Rolesville Police Department. The case remained active through multiple court filings made by White, who represented herself.

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