Lawyer, formerly of Beckley, killed by client in murder-suicide
Dec. 21—Police in Goldsboro, N.C., are investigating a deadly shooting inside a law office that claimed the life of Patrick White, formerly of Beckley.
The confrontation happened between White and a client on Monday. After shooting White, the client turned the gun on himself.
The shooting took place at the Riddle & Brantley law offices at about 4:15 p.m. on Monday.
Investigators said they found the bodies of two men inside the office, according to local media reports. The victim has been identified as White, a 42-year-old lawyer from Raleigh, N.C. Police say the suspected shooter was 46-year-old Francisco Sanchez of Greenville.
Sanchez and his wife, Crystal Guerrero, came into the law office around 9:30 a.m. for a mediation, local media reported. Because of attorney-client privilege, details of the mediation were not disclosed.
White was the attorney of record for the Sanchez and Guerrero case. Attorney Gene Riddle was assisting with the mediation.
"I'm still trying to process (the incident)," Riddle told WTVD, Channel 7, in Raleigh.
According to Riddle's account, mediation progressed throughout the day and all parties landed on an agreement by about 4 p.m.
After the couple met privately, Riddle said he saw Sanchez coming toward him and heard gunshots. Riddle thought he had been shot and fell backward into his office, the television station reported.
White attempted to stop Sanchez from continued gunfire but was fatally shot in the process.
Moments later, Riddle heard another gunshot and found that Sanchez had shot himself in the head.
Goldsboro police and Wayne County deputies were at the law offices throughout Monday night, processing the scene.
White's law firm biography said White attended West Virginia University, where he earned both his B.S. and Juris Doctorate degrees, and has been practicing law since 2005.
He is survived by a wife and two children.
In a YouTube video, White said he and his wife had practiced law at the same firm in West Virginia. They moved to North Carolina when she decided to attend a seminary.
White practiced personal injury law at Riddle & Brantley, which has offices in Raleigh, Goldsboro and Jacksonville, N.C.
"I enjoy meeting my clients and guiding them through what may be one of the scariest and confusing times in their life," White said in his profile. "It's an honor and a privilege helping them get the justice and compensation they deserve."
The law firm issued a statement on the incident, saying, "Patrick was a skilled lawyer and a devoted, loving husband and father. His strong work ethic and dedication to excellence were coupled with genuine warmth and kindness. Patrick's commitment to the service of others and engaging personality endeared him to all.
"In his passing, Patrick displayed selfless courage in the face of unprovoked senseless violence. His heroic, decisive intervention averted further tragedy."
