Raleigh police chief officer wounded in shooting; ex-wife of suspect details terrifying moments

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson praised First Class Officer Max Gillick, who was wounded during a shooting Tuesday as he responded to a call in the Renaissance Park neighborhood.

“He’s a hero. Very heroic, very courageous,” Patterson said.

Patterson delivered remarks Friday morning at a Raleigh Police Department promotion ceremony, where she shared more details on Gillick’s actions.

“As many of you know, Officer Gillick was shot Tuesday evening as he was performing his duties and protecting the victim who had been assaulted in a domestic situation,” said Patterson.

As police arrived on the scene, they heard shots from inside the home. An officer called for backup and a person inside continued shooting. During the gunfire exchange, Gillick was wounded and the suspect was killed.

Gillick underwent surgery Tuesday night at WakeMed and remains in critical condition.

“While he is progressing well in his recovery, he is not out of the woods. He still needs, desperately needs our prayers and positive vibes,” said Patterson.

Authorities identified the shooting suspect as 70-year-old Antonio Rodrigues, and the victim as 73-year-old John Rowe; both men died. The incident happened inside the home of Rodrigues’ ex-wife, Jill Rohner.

“(Antonio) just came in and shot John. And so, John fell to the floor and I was on the phone with 911 and was screaming bloody murder for them to please hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,” said Rohner in an interview with our newsgathering partners at The News & Observer.

According to court records, Rodrigues had pleaded guilty to several counts of stalking and disclosing private images in 2021 and 2022, cases in which Rohner was the victim.

“I have pleaded that (Rodrigues) get serious health and mental health kind of help because I suspected that he could snap at any minute. He was just constantly harassing me,” said Rohner.

She said Rodrigues had previously been violent toward her; according to The News & Observer, a Carteret County judge granted their divorce in 2014.

“The first place he held me down with a gun was in a home in Carteret County,” Rohner said, and she added that she believed the townhome in Raleigh felt safe.

Rodrigues was on probation at the time of the shooting, with Rohner calling for victims of domestic violence to receive more protection.

“He could have killed me. He opted not to. We were face-to-face and I was pleading with him like, ‘What are you doing? Why, please stop.’ And he said ‘You took everything from me,’” said Rohner.

Rohner told ABC11 that she was in a relationship with Rowe and had planned on moving in with him.

“A couple of years ago, I met this wonderful man, John Rowe, who I have recently said to people, (it) took me 67 years, but I finally got it right, found the right person, was very much in love,” said Rohner.

This is the second high-profile shooting within a week for the Raleigh Police Department, coming days after an incident at a North Hills restaurant, in which two people, including the suspect died, and a third person was injured.

The incidents underscore broader efforts to ensure a widespread law enforcement presence, as the department works to fill open positions.

“A day like (the promotion ceremony), when people see advancement, the opportunity for advancement, they want to be a part of this team and so they come to the department. Our challenge moving forward is not in recruiting and retention. We want to make sure that our leaders are doing everything that they can to keep the people that we have,” said Patterson.

A Raleigh Police Department spokesperson told ABC11 there are 51 vacancies, down from 84 vacancies at the beginning of 2024. On Saturday, Raleigh Police are holding a hiring event at the Law Enforcement Training Center, which begins at 9 a.m.

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