A shooting at a Durham shopping center involved two groups of people who knew each other, and one of the victims included a 10-year-old, who was struck by a bullet ricochet.
November 26, 2021 – By Avi Bajpai and Mark Schultz – Source The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Three people were shot at Durham’s Southpoint mall Friday, during one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
One of those injured was a 10-year-old who was hit by a bullet ricochet, Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews said. The child was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
She did not have information on the others shot but said three more people were injured in the shooting aftermath.
The incident involved two groups of people who knew each other, Andrews said. Police have one person in custody and several witnesses, she said.
Durham police officers who were working off-duty inside The Streets at Southpoint on Fayetteville Road requested assistance after hearing gun shots around 3:23 p.m., Andrews said.
As of Nov. 13, there had been 243 people shot in Durham this year, according to police. That was down from 276 by the same date in 2020, but up from 161 in 2019.
Thirty-eight of those shot this year have died, according to police, up from 25 last year and 30 the year before that.
“Shootings in this city have got to stop,” Andrews said. “It’s got to stop. Its got to stop.”
Police evacuate mall
The Durham County Sheriff’s Office and Highway Patrol are assisting with traffic to keep drivers away from the mall, said Durham City Council member Mark-Anthony Middleton, who confirmed the shootings earlier Friday afternoon.
“We’re doing orderly evacuation,” he said. “It’s really important that we keep the area as decongested as possible.”
Middleton said he did not know details about the person being detained or other details about the shooting, which he initially learned about on social media.
People yelling ‘Shooter!’
Aaron Thomas, a reporter with WRAL, was locked in a store with other shoppers Friday afternoon.
Thomas said he was shopping when he saw many people running.
“We’re waiting to hear from security what prompted this situation,” he tweeted.
Some people posting on Twitter reported that they heard gunshots.
One shopper, Sam Zhang, told The N&O in a Twitter message he was walking toward Macy’s when he saw more than 100 people, possibly 200, running out of the store.
“Some were yelling ‘Shooter!’ Zhang said.
By 4:20 p.m., there was a line of 30 to 40 police cars, ambulances and fire trucks outside Macy’s, Zhang said.
An alert on the mall’s website stated the mall “will be closed until further notice,” but did not provide details.
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