Krishana Polite, the former Chief of Staff for North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, was shot in the neck by what is believed to be celebratory gunfire while leaving a New Year’s Eve church service. The shooting occurred early on January 1, 2025, in Winston-Salem, as Polite was leaving St. Peter’s Church & World Outreach Center on Old Lexington Road.
According to WUNC, the 2024 incident took place around 12:10 a.m., when a stray bullet struck Polite as she was exiting the church. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police are continuing to investigate the shooting, but no arrests have been made thus far.
Polite, who made history as the first Black woman to serve as Lt. Governor Mark Robinson’s Chief of Staff, had previously served as his deputy chief of staff. She was promoted to the top position in the fall of 2024 after several staff members resigned following a damaging CNN report.
The Frederick Douglass Foundation shared details of the shooting in a press release and expressed concern over the need for more information from authorities regarding the incident.
Polite’s recovery is ongoing. According to a spokesperson for the Foundation, Ashley Stowers, Polite remains at home and has regained some feeling in her left arm after doctors discovered the bullet lodged in her neck, along with shrapnel in her shoulder and left side.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Polite during her recovery.
