Durham woman shot, killed on New Year's Eve in what police believe was 'celebratory gunfire'

A woman in Durham was killed at the turn of the new year. Police believe she may have been hit by celebratory gunfire.

It happened in the 1500 block of Robinhood Road just before 11 p.m. New Year's Eve.

Some neighbors told WRAL News the sound of gunshots put them on edge, forcing them back in their homes for safety.

One neighbor, Odell Lyons, witnessed the disturbing situation on New Year’s Eve.

He was working on his car and spotted a woman and her friend pull up in their car on Robinhood Road.

Lyons says one of the women fell to the ground. He thought she was having a heart attack.

"It was just a freak accident. I didn’t know what was going on, I just thought the lady was sick," said Lyons.

Durham Police officers arrived on scene and found a woman lying in a driveway unconscious. She died from gunshot injuries at the hospital.

Investigators believe the incident is likely related to celebratory gunfire.

"The old saying is 'what goes up gotta come down'," said Lyons.

Odell Lyons says people shouldn't have to resort to using guns to ring in the holidays.

In 2020, a bullet fell from the sky on Fourth of July killing 74-year-old Paulette Thorpe, a Durham grandmother.

“It’s such an unfortunate reality that will have to co-exist with selfish behavior at the expense of someone’s life,” said city councilman Leonardo Williams.

Williams said he is working on speaking one-on-one with city leaders about this shooting and others leading up to the New Year.

The city recorded at least five shootings between New Year’s Eve and the early hours of New Year's Day injuring five other people.

On New Year’s Eve, A 17-year-old boy was seriously hurt and 16-year-old boy suffered minor injuries after a shooting on 1100 block of Fiske Street shortly after 10:15pm.

The same night at 7 p.m., a man accidentally shot himself on the 2700 block of Independence Avenue. He’s expected to be okay.

About 15 minutes into 2022, police said a man suffered a graze wound from a gunshot at 2900 block of Carolyn Drive.

And just before 1 a.m. New Year's Day a woman was grazed by a bullet after a shooting in the 1800 block of Cheek Road.

Williams said he and other city leaders are tasked with finding real solutions, not theoretical ones, to tackle Durham’s gun issue.