Middle schoolers hurt in Durham shooting, two young people killed, neighbors say

The shooting occurred at about 3 a.m., and the SUV the six people were in then crashed into a power pole near the intersection at Mathison and Eugene streets, police said.

Police Chief Patrice Andrews said a 19-year-old man and a second person, yet to be identified, died at the scene. Four other juveniles – three girls and one boy – were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, with at least one in critical condition.

Andrews said the shooting, which remains under investigation, wasn't random. Investigators are looking at recent activity in the area, including any fights, to determine a possible motive and suspects, she said.

A community crime map shows at least three dozen other incidents have occurred in the area in the last month.

"There is no room in our city for this type of violence. It's senseless, it's beyond tragic, and lives are forever going to be changed," the chief said at an afternoon news conference.

At least two of the victims were students at Lowe's Grove Middle School, according to nearby residents who know the youths involved.

Multiple ambulances and detectives were at the scene during the hours-long investigation. During the investigation, bodies were visible outside the nearby Burton Magnet Elementary School, which switched to remote learning for the day.

Andrews, Durham Mayor Elaine O'Neal and other officials were exasperated by yet another shooting in the city that claimed young lives.

"How many more young people are we going to lose to gun violence, to the streets, to being caught up in gang activity before we mobilize and take direct action to address this problem?" Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead asked. "We cannot accept this as the norm in Durham."

Andrews said it's too early to say whether the shooting was gang-related.

"There are mothers and fathers who woke up this morning who will never see their babies again," City Councilman Leonardo Williams said. "That is an issue: We’re losing babies, we’re losing children. Their futures are being robbed from them because of our communal circumstances."

"Ending gun violence and homicide in our city must be an all-hands-on-deck, boots-on-the-ground approach," O'Neal said, calling on all Durham residents to commit to up to five hours a week of community service "outside your normal circle" for two years.

"We have to create and develop a safety net for our children," she said.

Through Dec. 4, Durham police had responded to seven shootings with victims under the age of 17.

"We cannot rest until every street, block, neighborhood and ZIP code across this city is safe."

"This is really sad for Durham," said Durham Public Schools Superintendent Pascal Mubenga. "This is not the first time we endured, and I'm asking all of us - elected officials included - to address this."

An emotional Andrews appealed to those responsible for the shooting to lay down their guns.

"I beg you to think about what you are doing," she said. "What has happened today can never be undone. We have got to start thinking before picking the guns up. ... You are better than this."

Victoria Peterson, a community activist who lives near where the shooting occurred, said she believes she heard the gunshots early Monday.

"We’ve been hearing the guns going off [at] 2 and 3 in the morning for the last several days," Peterson said. "Usually, I get up, but I have to be honest, I’m just tired. I’m tired of the killing and the shooting that is going on."

Ashley Canady, who lives in the McDougald Terrace public housing complex nearby, said she had to tell her 6-year-old daughter that she couldn't go to school at Burton Elementary because it was part of a crime scene.

"This is sickening," Canady said. "It’s disgusting, and enough is enough."

"You have a whole school that had to close because of violence, not because of the pandemic, not because there's a shortage of staff [but] because you had bodies lying in front of the school. That should never happen," activist Jackie Wagstaff said.

Residents said people in the community need more support and more resources for youths.

"Instead of people coming out right now, they need to come out before this happens – put money into the community," said Charles Johnson, a member of Bull City United, the city-funded violence interruption program that works in at-risk communities.

"We’re bringing resources. We’re pulling up and letting them know that there’s another way to live," Johnson said. "Even if it’s food [or] mental health, we try to capitalize on everything."

Sheryl Smith said she plans to open a community center in the area this week.

"They want something to do. If you don’t have a center open and activities going on for these children, what do you think's going to happen?" Smith said. "The crime is going to continue, and nothing's going to change."

"I just breaks my heart and that’s another child that’s gone," she added, "and that’s another parent that’s burying their babies."

"We’re living in desperate times, and we see the writing on the wall, but we’re not really reading aloud," said Williams, the City Council member. "It’s our job to create a secure culture where we can better communicate before it gets to this point. I believe wholeheartedly that the solutions are embedded within the community."

In addition to offering potential solutions to the problem, Canady said, the community needs to support the families that lost members in Monday's shooting.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Durham police at 919-560-4440, extension 29163, or Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200.