As NC community grieves loss of two women, more details emerge about their deaths
Nancy Taylor, a Georgia native, moved to Apex to be closer to her grandchildren whom she loved to dote on, according to her family.
She was one of the women killed Monday after police say her neighbor fatally shot her and 37-year-old Gabrielle Raymond outside a home on Chipping Drive in the South Walk Townhomes neighborhood in Apex.
Taylor was one of the members of the community’s homeowners association.
“We have a strong faith in God and know Nancy will forever watch over our family,” her family said in a statement released Friday. “Our greatest desire now is to be able to grieve and process this incredible and lasting tragedy.”
Raymond was one of Taylor’s friends. Her family issued a statement saying she was a daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt and friend.
“Our hearts are broken and our minds cannot comprehend how or why such a bright light and future was taken too soon from this world,” Raymond’s family said.
Both women were rushed to a local hospital where they later died from their injuries. Mayor Jacques Gilbert said their deaths have been felt across the Apex community.
“This is a very difficult time for all the families and the entire community,” he said at a news conference Friday.
Retired Army captain charged with murder
Harry Hardman, 37, a retired Army captain and resident of the neighborhood, has been charged with two counts of murder and animal cruelty after fatally shooting his dog before he shot the two women.
Apex police said he was armed with an AR-15 rifle though they don’t believe this was used in the shooting. Police found multiple handguns in Hardman’s home after obtaining a search warrant. One of the handguns is believed to be the weapon used.
He was ordered to be held in jail without bond.
At the news conference, Police Chief Jason Armstrong and Gilbert gave a few more details about the fatal incident. Afterward, the Police Department released over a dozen 911 calls from neighbors who witnessed the shooting.
One of the calls was made by Raymond.
She was on her cell phone when police believe she was shot. The 1 minute and 42 second call ended in silence.
Another call was from a man who confronted Hardman at gunpoint.
‘They’re laying in the front yard’
Armstrong said the Apex Police Department’s emergency services partners with Cary Police Department’s dispatchers, so 911 calls made to Apex Police go to Cary first. Cary then immediately routes the calls to Apex.
Before Monday, Armstrong said, the only interaction Apex police had with Hardman was in December when he turned in a cell phone he found in his car after giving someone a ride. He drove for Uber and it is not clear if he was still driving for the company at the time of the incident.
The first call was received through the non-emergency line at 3:02 p.m. Monday, Armstrong said.
The caller, a resident in the South Walk Townhomes neighborhood, said Hardman was pacing back and forth with a pool stick in his hand.
“My neighbor’s in the backyard just like screaming at the sky,” the caller said. “I heard something about ‘burn the Catholic church’ at some point”
“I don’t know what’s going on with him,” the caller said.
Taylor joined Hardman outside to talk to him, and as the two walked away, the caller said he heard “loud banging,” which he realized were gunshots seconds later. He could no longer see Hardman outside.
“There’s Nancy and someone else down on the ground,” the caller said. “They’re laying in the front yard.”
More 911 calls poured in.
By then, officers were already en route to the scene.
One caller saw Hardman after the shooting happened.
“He just picked up the gun, put the magazine back in the gun, walked over to the two bodies and now he’s walking across the street,” the caller said.
Apex police praised one neighbor for his bravery after he saw Hardman, armed himself and confronted him.
In the call, the man said he had him at gunpoint and was given instructions not to shoot him. Hardman was still holding the gun. The man was not identified by Apex police.
“I went back in my house,” the man said. “I lost him; I don’t know where he went.”
In a statement given to police, the man asked for privacy to process the incident.
“As a neighbor, I was attempting to keep them from hurting anyone else until police arrived,” he said.
This story was originally published January 19, 2024 at 2:17 PM.