Man killed in Durham shooting was son of retired deputy police chief

Anthony "A.J." Marsh Jr. was shot at about 4 p.m. while in a Dodge Ram pickup in the 300 block of East Pilot Street. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Marsh was the son of retired Deputy Police Chief Anthony Marsh Sr., who was too distraught Tuesday morning to share any other details about his son's life or death.

"I know the entire police department has been shocked by this," said Larry Smith, a retired deputy chief who worked with Marsh and now is spokesman for the Durham Fraternal Order of Police. "It's the police family, and we are a family. We’re just grieving."

Alexis Holmes, former classmate of A.J. Marsh at Jordan High School, called him inspirational and "a people person."

"He would always light up the room with his smile," Holmes said. "He just was very welcoming. If you felt uncomfortable, he would make a joke just to make sure you were good. If we had a test coming up, he was just the light we needed in every situation."

A.J. Marsh was a specialist in the Army Reserve, a member of the 363rd Engineer Battalion Support Company in Knightdale.

"They were just a great family, and I feel like that’s what molded A.J., too, to be a really great Black male in this area," Holmes said.

A.J. Marsh son is the 11th person killed by gunfire in Durham this year, far outpacing last year's rate.

Police haven't disclosed a possible motive for the shooting or said whether they have any suspects.

"We don’t want this to get politicized or the issue of violence sucked into this. We know that will become a part of the discussion, but right now, our hearts and our prayers go out to the Marsh family," Smith said. "Behind every statistic, there’s a human being, and in this case, that human being is someone that we care for deeply."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Durham police at 919-560-4440, extension 29336, or Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200.