On July 30, 2023, at about 2:44 p.m., officers responded to reports of an active shooting at Freedom Park in Eden, North Carolina. They found 40-year-old Dr. Gwendolyn Lavonne Riddick beside her red Ford Mustang with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to UNC Rockingham Hospital and pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Dr. Riddick was an OB/GYN at UNC Women’s Health in Eden, having joined the practice in 2021. Investigators identified 35-year-old John Michael Powell of Newport News, Virginia, the father of Dr. Riddick’s child, as the suspect. Authorities said the shooting stemmed from ongoing domestic issues and a dispute over custody. Powell was arrested while attempting to flee in a black Chevrolet Avalanche and charged with first-degree murder and discharging a weapon into occupied property; he was held without bond and scheduled to appear in Rockingham County District Court on August 8, 2023.

Dr. Riddick’s death has deeply affected colleagues and the community and prompted discussion about domestic violence. If anyone witnessed the events at Freedom Park or has information about the case, please come forward.