Former Army captain charged in murder of two women, dog's death in Apex neighborhood

U.S. Army Capt. Harry Hardman, 37, is charged with murder and animal cruelty after the shooting on Monday, Jan. 15. Police said Hardman knew his victims and was engaged in conversation with them before he fired the fatal shots.

Hardman appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon on those charges. He was appointed a capital defender, and he is due in court next on Feb. 5.

On Tuesday, Apex police identified the victims as Gabrielle Raymond, 37, and Nancy Taylor, 69.

Both women and Hardman live in the South Walk Townhomes.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the victims, their families and loved ones, and the entire community that has been impacted by this tragic event," Apex Police Chief Jason Armstrong wrote.

Around 3 p.m. Monday, Apex police officers were called to the area of Brussels Drive at Chipping Drive in response to a disturbance. While en route, the disturbance escalated to a shots fired call.

Police said Hardman was outside in the neighborhood being loud, causing a disturbance, which prompted the initial 911 call. Video sent to WRAL News by a resident in the neighborhood recorded a man screaming in the street around the time of the shooting.

In the video, the man can be heard shouting calls to violence to graduates and students of MIT, Harvard and more and called for the ‘cleansing of the country’ as the ‘final solution.’

It is unclear if the man in the video was Hardman.

According to the police, Taylor approached Hardman and began speaking with him.

Apex police said the specifics of that conversation are not known. Raymond joined the conversation at some point, according to the police.

Police said Hardman then apparently shot both Raymond and Taylor, and neighbors began to call 911 to report that shooting. Neighbors told police they heard up to eight gunshots.

Officers arrived quickly and saw Hardman retreating to his home.

They set up a perimeter around the home, then saw Hardman exit the back door with an AR-15 rifle.

Apex police then told Hardman to drop the weapon, which he did. He was then taken into custody.

Police recovered multiple handguns from Hardman's home after executing a search warrant. They believe he used a handgun and not the AR-15 to shoot Raymond and Taylor.

Officers found the women laying in the front yard of a home on Chipping Drive. Both were taken to the hospital, where they died. The dog died at the scene. It's unclear who the dog belonged to.

Neighbor Tom McKay said Taylor was a grandparent who had recently moved to North Carolina from Georgia. McKay said everyone knew Taylor, who was the head of the South Walk HOA. Also, McKay said Taylor would often walk her dog.

Taylor's family said she was recently retired.

Raymond's parents told WRAL News that their daughter was friends with Taylor and was a chemical engineer who worked at RTI.

Apex police said they do not know whether the victims had any other association with Hardman other than that they were neighbors.

It is unclear what motivated the shooting. Neighbors tell WRAL News that Hardman, who rented his home, was known to speed and may have gotten in a dispute with Taylor about issues in the neighborhood.

The glass on Hardman's front door was shattered, with shards littering the front walk and evidence of a struggle visible inside.

Directly across the street, a townhome had a bullet hole in the siding, and a memorial of flowers and candles was beginning to form on the front stoop.

The U.S. Army said Hardman was a former captain, who served from 2005 to 2019. The West Point Association of Graduates said Hardman graduated from the military academy in 2009.

After that time, he worked as a real estate agent. The general manager of the restaurant at the Peak on Salem in Apex said Hardman worked as a server from August 2023 until December 2023.

Apex police do not believe there was anyone else involved, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert said the town is praying for all involved.

"This is a sad day for our town," Gilbert said in a statement. "Anytime there is a tragedy, we hurt as a community. We are thankful for all first responders who courageously responded to the scene to render assistance and provide safety."

Apex police said the town's last murder was in 2020.