GREENSBORO, NC — Two women in their 70s have died after a Sunday evening shooting on Creswell Court, where police said a neighbor accused in the attack barricaded himself inside a nearby home before officers entered and arrested him.
Greensboro police identified the women as Kathryn Binkley, 73, and Margaret Collins, 76. Binkley was pronounced dead at the scene, while Collins was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died.
Police identified 64-year-old Michael Wade Hargett as the suspected shooter. Investigators said witnesses described Hargett as the assailant and that officers are not looking for any other suspects.
Police have not released a motive or explained what happened immediately before the gunfire.
The violence began shortly before 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, when Greensboro police officers were sent to Creswell Court following a report of a shooting.
Greensboro Fire Department crews, Guilford County EMS personnel and Guilford County Sheriff’s Office deputies also responded.
First responders found two women with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. Binkley died at the scene. Collins was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, where she initially remained in critical condition. Police later confirmed that Collins died from her injuries.
Witnesses identified Hargett, who lived nearby, as the suspected attacker, police said. Investigators have not publicly described the relationship between Hargett and the two women beyond saying he was a neighbor.
Police also have not disclosed where each person was standing when the shots were fired or how many shots were fired.
After the shooting, police said Hargett went into a nearby residence and barricaded himself inside, turning the investigation into a tactical operation.
The Greensboro Police Department’s Special Response Team and Hostage Negotiation Team were called to Creswell Court as officers worked to contain the scene.
Police said the teams eventually entered the residence and found Hargett inside. Officers arrested him, but authorities said he also had a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Hargett was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. Police have not publicly detailed the severity of his wound or released an updated medical condition.
Authorities also have not announced criminal charges connected with the women’s deaths. Police said they were not seeking any additional suspects, indicating investigators believe the immediate threat connected with the shooting had been contained.
The first police account identified Binkley as the person who died at the scene and listed her death as Greensboro’s 16th homicide of 2026. Collins’ later death raised the city’s homicide count to 17.
The case changed quickly from a shooting investigation involving one death and one critically injured victim into a double-homicide investigation.
Police have said the investigation remains active. Authorities have not released information about the weapon involved, whether a firearm was recovered from Hargett’s residence or whether investigators obtained other physical evidence at the scene.
Police also have not said whether either woman was inside or outside a residence when she was shot. Those details could become important as detectives reconstruct the sequence of events and determine what led to the attack.
Creswell Court is a residential area in Greensboro, and the shooting brought a large response from city and county emergency agencies.
The Sunday response involved patrol officers, firefighters, paramedics, sheriff’s deputies, tactical officers and hostage negotiators.
The presence of the Special Response Team reflected the added danger created when police said the suspected shooter barricaded himself after the attack.
Authorities have not disclosed how long negotiations continued, what officers said to Hargett before entering or whether anyone else was inside the residence with him.
The deaths also added to Greensboro’s homicide total during a year in which police have investigated killings across several parts of the city.
Binkley’s death became the 16th homicide recorded by Greensboro police in 2026, according to the department. Collins’ death became the 17th.
Investigators now face several unresolved questions, including the motive, the events immediately before the shooting and the circumstances involving the three people.
Police said information about a possible motive and the circumstances before the shooting was not available for public release.
Detectives are expected to continue interviewing witnesses, examining evidence and reviewing information collected from the Creswell Court scene.
Any decision on criminal charges would depend on the investigation, Hargett’s medical condition and consultation with prosecutors.
As of the latest public reports, authorities had not announced murder charges, a bond hearing or a first court appearance for Hargett.
Police also had not said when he might be released from medical care or transferred to another facility. The department said additional information would be released as updates become available.
The investigation began with uncertainty Sunday evening, when early information from police said only that officers had found multiple victims after responding to a shooting.
By Monday, authorities had identified Binkley, named Hargett as the suspect and described the barricade and arrest. Collins’ death then increased the number of fatalities to two.
Police have not released detailed witness accounts, and no public statement has explained what the witnesses saw before identifying Hargett.
Authorities also have not said whether surveillance cameras, doorbell cameras or other recordings captured any part of the incident. Investigators have not publicly described any earlier dispute among the people involved.
The shooting drew multiple public safety agencies into the neighborhood at the same time.
Greensboro police handled the criminal investigation while Greensboro firefighters and Guilford County EMS responded to the injured people. Guilford County sheriff’s deputies also assisted at the scene.
Authorities have not reported that any responding officers, firefighters, paramedics or deputies were injured during the operation. No additional victims have been announced.
For Binkley and Collins, the police investigation now centers on establishing the full sequence that led to their deaths.
Investigators have publicly identified both women but have released little personal information about them. Officials have not described whether the women lived together, whether both lived on Creswell Court or how they knew Hargett.
Their ages, names and the circumstances of their deaths remain the main confirmed information released about them.
As of Tuesday, Aug. 25, Binkley and Collins were the two confirmed fatalities from the Creswell Court shooting, while Hargett remained the identified suspect in the police investigation.
The next major developments are expected to include information about Hargett’s medical status, any criminal charges and additional findings about what led to the shooting.
Last updated Aug. 25, 2026.