Ex-lawyer for accused Wake courthouse shooter says internet has distorted the facts

An attorney who briefly represented Gwendolyn White in her pursuit of police body camera footage says that case has become “falsely conflated” with White’s allegations that her late mother received negligent healthcare.

White, 57, is charged with attempted murder after police say she shot two attorneys at the Wake County courthouse Friday. She was in court to ask for a new trial tied to her request for body camera footage from a March 2021 dispute with a neighbor at her home, The News & Observer previously reported.

In a Facebook post this weekend, Aviance Brown, a private attorney, says she was contacted in April 2026 after White filed a motion to seek a new trial. Brown said she agreed to take the case pro bono.

Brown said she has filed lawsuits on matters including gerrymandering and school board discrimination against children with disabilities. She said she has dedicated her career to “holding law enforcement responsible when they harm the community.”

In the 7 1/2-minute video, Brown briefly summarized White’s efforts over several years to get body-worn camera footage from the Rolesville Police Department.

Police initially responded that the footage had been deleted in accordance with its 30-day retention policy for footage not classified as evidence. They later provided a flash drive that contained footage that was able to be retrieved, and when White said the flash drive was empty, the department eventually made the video available via a weblink.

In May of this year after receiving the retrievable footage, Brown filed a request to withdraw from the case under professional rules of conduct “which allow attorneys to be released from a case upon court approval in instances such as imprudent actions contrary to a lawyer’s advice.”

A judge granted Brown’s request Friday, she said.

She then left the Wake County courtroom, with White and the opposing attorneys still in the room to argue White’s motion for a new trial, she said.

‘The internet is a vile place’

White has drawn some support on social media, with some saying she was driven to the shootings by the allegedly negligent treatment her mother received and the difficulties she encountered trying to help her.

Brown said she wanted to set the record straight about her involvement with White and what Friday’s court proceedings were about.

“The internet is a vile place that is not meant for thoughtful nor truthful engagement because social media apps are not built to reward truth,” she said. “They reward narratives that can be sensationalized.”

Brown stressed Friday’s case was “solely about the release of body-worn camera footage,” and not connected to White’s claims about her late mother’s care.

“These two issues have been falsely conflated in a manner that has distorted the factual record,” Brown said in her Facebook post.

“I want to express my sincerest condolences to attorneys Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley and their families,” she said. “I am deeply disgusted by the online record that two attorneys who were merely doing their job deserve any form of violence.”

Brown also acknowledged the need for more equitable mental healthcare and support.

“It is no secret that we lack the appropriate mental health infrastructure in this country to address the needs of so many aggrieved individuals, and we absolutely must do better.”

White made a first court appearance on the attempted-murder charges Tuesday morning. A judge ordered that she be held in jail without bail. An attorney will be appointed to represent her.

This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Ex-lawyer for accused Wake courthouse shooter says internet has distorted the facts."