Harry Hardman mug shot (Apex Police) and the scene where he allegedly killed two women and a dog (WRAL screenshot)
A 37-year-old former U.S. Army captain in North Carolina was arrested this week for allegedly killing two of his neighbors, fatally shooting the women in front of his house after several others in the neighborhood had reported him for “being loud” and “causing a disturbance.”
Harry Hardman, who also allegedly shot and killed a dog at the scene, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with two counts of murder and one count of animal cruelty in the slayings of Gabrielle Raymond, 37, and Nancy Taylor, 69, authorities announced.
According to a press release from the Apex Police Department, officers at about 3 p.m. on Jan. 15 responded to calls regarding a disturbance at a residence in the 1400 block of Chipping Drive, about 5 miles west of Raleigh. While en route to the call, dispatchers received multiple additional calls reporting that shots had been fired.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located two female victims in need of “immediate medical attention.” The victims — later identified as Raymond and Taylor — were rushed to a nearby hospital where they succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead.
A dog was also shot and died at the scene. It is unclear who owned the dog.
Officers at the scene said they saw Hardman retreating into his residence after the shooting. As police were setting up a perimeter around his home, Hardman was seen exiting the backdoor armed with an AR-15 rifle. He obeyed commands to drop the rifle and was taken into custody without incident.
Hardman and both of the victims lived in South Walk Townhomes.
“We have learned that Ms. Taylor and Ms. Raymond were friends, but we do not know the extent of their association with Mr. Hardman, beyond neighbors,” police said in the release. “Around 3 p.m. on January 15th, Mr. Hardman was outside in the neighborhood being loud, causing a disturbance, which prompted the initial call to Apex Police. While Mr. Hardman was outside causing the disturbance, Ms. Taylor came up to him and began speaking with him. It is not known, at this time, the specifics of their conversation. While Ms. Taylor was speaking with Mr. Hardman, at some point, Ms. Raymond joined the two of them.”
At some point while the three were talking, Hardman “produced a gun and shot both victims,” authorities said.
Police noted that the AR-15 rifle is not believed to be the weapon used in the fatal shootings. Investigators executed a search warrant on Hardman’s home where they say multiple handguns were recovered, one of which they believe is the murder weapon.
While authorities have not speculated on the motive for the shooting, a neighbor sent Raleigh NBC affiliate cellphone footage of a man, believed to be Hardman, screaming about the need to “cleanse” the country and calling for a “final solution” just before the shooting.
“We need to cleanse our country,” the man can be heard shouting on the video.
The man can also reportedly be heard calling for the deaths of all graduates from MIT, Harvard, and West Point, his alma mater.
Neighbors told the station that Hardman was known for driving through the area at high speeds and said Taylor, the head of the homeowners association, may have been trying to talk to him about those and other issues with his behavior.
Hardman is currently being held at the Wake County Jail without bond. At his first appearance on Tuesday, Hardman asked for a court-appointed capital attorney and has not yet entered a plea, WTVD reported. His next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 5.
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