'We will send you away': Durham police respond to 3 shootings, including death of 16-year-old

The Durham Police Department and mayor on Friday held a news conference one day after three shootings occurred in the city.

Five people were shot on Thursday, and a 16-year-old boy was killed in one incident. Police have not determined if any of the three shootings are connected.

16-year-old killed in Thursday afternoon shooting

Shortly after 4 p.m. on Thursday, police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1200 block of Truman St., where they found a teenage boy shot in the chest. CPR was administered at the scene. The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died.

According to police, a few moments later, a man was seen running from that scene with a handgun. The man got into a Red Chrysler Sebring, and officers began a pursuit but stopped the chase after determining it was unsafe to continue.

The vehicle, recovered later on Hardee Street, was stolen, police said. Police were able to obtain evidence from the vehicle.

On Friday, Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews said the boy's brother was shot less than a week ago, also on Truman Street. Andrews called the death of the 16-year-old a tragic loss of life and asked for prayers for the victim's family.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator J. Berkstresser at 919-560-4440, ext. 29538, or contact Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200.

Separate Durham shooting on Fayetteville Street/Linwood Avenue

Durham police are also investigating a shooting that took place near the intersection of Fayetteville Street and Linwood Avenue.

Police responded to the scene shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday but were unable to find any victims.

However, a short while later, a man and a boy arrived at a local hospital in a private vehicle. Both were suffering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

A third gunshot victim, also a man, arrived at the hospital around the same time. His injuries are also non-life-threatening.

One of the three victims was later charged with possession of a firearm by felon, according to police.

Third Durham shooting on Pettigrew Street

The third shooting incident took place around 6 p.m. Thursday when Durham police responded to a report of a shooting on the 300 block of West Pettigrew Street, near the American Tobacco Campus.

Shortly after, a man suffering from a gunshot wound arrived at a nearby bus terminal. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to police, a black Honda Accord was seen leaving the scene. Police are searching for the car, which was stolen out of Holly Springs, according to police.

Commenting on this particular shooting, Andrews said, "Crime can happen anywhere, but I think the fact that it's happening and it continues to happen ... that's what we should worry about, not that it happened near American Tobacco."

The American Tobacco Campus released a statement, saying:

"The safety of our community is always our top priority. We are thankful for the immediate response of our security team and the rapid intervention by the police. In response to the incident, we activated our emergency response system to alert the campus community. An all-clear was issued after we were ensured that there was no immediate threat to others."

Durham leaders worry about crime involving youth

The investigation into all three shootings is ongoing.

"There is a lot to process here, a lot we still don't know," Andrews said during Friday's news conference. "We have not seen a pattern or a trend ... we're focused on what happened last night and if they're connected."

Mayor Leonardo Williams told WRAL News he feels a sense of numbness and frustration, especially to know that another teenager was killed in the Bull City.

"These are young people," Williams said. "They’re supposed to be getting up going to school tomorrow; yet they have bullet holes in their chest or wherever they were shot."

Williams is advocating for policy changes to improve response times, including reinstating ShotSpotter technology in the city.

On Friday, he again voiced his concerns.

"The commonality here is that these are all mostly young Black boys under the age of 20 ... both the victims of the actual act and the ones that are committing it ... for me this isn't political ... this is a personal reality that really frustrates me."

Andrews' frustration was evident after three shootings in a span of hours. When WRAL News asked the chief to address the shooters, she said:

"We will send you to prison for the rest of your life. We have the means and the ability to do it ... we have federal partners committed to ending violence in this city, and we will send you away."

Anyone with information about this shooting or any other shooting in Durham is urged to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 919-683-1200.