Durham man denied bond in fatal convenience store shooting

Durham police charged a 26-year-old man Saturday afternoon after investigators say he killed an employee of a gas station on North Roxboro Street during an early-morning robbery.

Posted 4:31 p.m. Jul 6, 2015 — Updated 10:05 p.m. Jul 6, 2015

DURHAM, N.C. — A judge on Monday ordered a Durham man held without bond in a weekend shooting that left a convenience store clerk dead.

Dmarlo Johnson, 26, appeared in court in a wheelchair. Police shot him early Saturday when he pointed a gun at officers as he left Joy Food Mart, at 2109 N. Roxboro St.

Officers later found Amer Mahmood, 48, of Durham, dead inside the store.

Two people who called 911 to report a robbery at the store said a man with a shirt pulled up over his face brandished a handgun as he walked in the store and ordered about a half-dozen customers out.

"As soon as people started running out of the store, he started shooting," one caller told a dispatcher. "The only person left in the store was the store worker."

Joy Food Mart owner Moby Chaudhary said Johnson was a regular at the store and that Mahmood was shot twice after handing over cash from the register.

Customer Clarence Trice called Johnson easy-going and said he thinks Johnson and Mahmood had an earlier run-in that could have led to the shooting.

"I think it was just because they had a disagreement," Trice said. "That's how I look at him. He just got back at him. As far as the robbery, that don't make no sense to me."

Mahmood's sister-in-law, Cindy White, described him as easy-going as well and said the family is heartbroken over the death of the loving father of two.

"Amer was a hard-working American citizen. He was a very loving father, a kind being, generous and never said a bad word about anyone. He would give a stranger his last dollar. He worked double shifts for his family," White said in an email to WRAL News. "Our lives will never be the same. We are all heartbroken and cannot believe this happened to such a kind soul. He will be deeply missed."

Officers Cornell Richards, Jonathan Fullam and Joshua Conser have been placed on administrative leave with pay, pending investigations by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Durham Police Department's Professional Standards Division and Criminal Investigations Division into Johnson's shooting. Such actions are standard procedure in any officer-involved shooting.

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