Police have arrested a neighboring resident, but investigators have not said what may have led to the deadly encounter.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A shooting that killed two women in their 70s has left a Greensboro residential community facing unanswered questions as police investigate what led to the violence on Creswell Court.
Kathryn Binkley, 73, and Margaret Collins, 76, died after the Sunday evening shooting. Police were called to the area at about 6:45 p.m. Aug. 23 and found two people with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. Binkley was pronounced dead at the scene, while Collins was initially taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died.
The deadly shooting unfolded in a residential setting where neighbors described an unusually heavy police presence. Officers remained focused on a nearby home after witnesses identified 64-year-old Michael Wade Hargett, another neighborhood resident, as the suspected shooter.
Police said Hargett barricaded himself inside the nearby residence, prompting the Greensboro Police Department’s Special Response Team and Hostage Negotiation Team to respond. Officers eventually entered the home, found Hargett with what police described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound and arrested him. He was then taken to a hospital for treatment.
The Police Department has not released a possible motive or details explaining the circumstances immediately before the shooting. Investigators have also not publicly described any dispute or other event that may have preceded the gunfire.
The uncertainty has become a central part of the investigation. Police have said they are not searching for additional suspects, narrowing the immediate law enforcement focus to the events involving Hargett and the two women. Authorities continue to classify the case as an active investigation.
The initial response brought together Greensboro police, firefighters, Guilford County EMS and Guilford County sheriff’s deputies. Tactical officers and hostage negotiators later became involved as the situation shifted from the shooting investigation to the barricaded residence.
Police initially counted Binkley’s death as the city’s 16th homicide of 2026. Collins’ death was confirmed later as authorities continued investigating the same incident. Police have not released further details explaining whether additional investigative findings have changed the legal status of the case.
Hargett remains the identified suspect in the investigation. Authorities have not publicly announced a motive in the material reviewed for this report, and no additional suspects are being sought as police continue working to determine the circumstances surrounding the two deaths.
Author note: Last updated August 26, 2026.