Police, nonprofit attacking gun violence in Durham from different angles
A 9-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed in shootings in Durham in less than 24 hours, and Police Chief C.J. Davis said Tuesday that gun violence has become too common in the city.
"It’s part of a growing trend that we see in the area where there are arguments or beefs, whether gang-related or not, and gun violence is the result. It’s the chosen way to resolve whatever problems that exist," Davis said.
Twenty-six criminal homicides have occurred in Durham so far this year, compared with 32 in all of 2018.
Z'yon Person, 9, was killed Sunday night in a drive-by shooting near the intersection of Duke and Leon streets as he was going with his aunt to get ice cream. An 8-year-old boy was wounded in the shooting.
Kylik Burnette, 18, was killed Monday night when he was shot outside an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Chapel Hill Road.
Michael Lester Morgan, 36, of Durham was arrested Tuesday in Burnette's death. Police said the pair had an altercation before the shooting.
No one has been charged in Z'yon's death, but Davis said investigators are following up on numerous tips from the public.
"It’s very concerning when you think about a young person, a 9-year-old, that is caught up in the crossfires of a targeted-type situation," she said, noting there are "some indications" the shooting was gang-related.
"A lot of this [gun violence] is stemmed from gang activity incidents where one particular gang is fighting with another or individuals within the same gang are fighting with each other," Davis said. "Some of the incidents that we see may be parts of gang initiation. They may seem to be random acts, but we believe that some of it may be part of gang initiation."
The Durham City Council in June denied proposed funding for an extra 18 police officers in the city's 2019-20 budget, but Davis said she's not using the lack of additional manpower as an excuse.
"It’s always been my practice to work strategically with what I have," she said. "Collaborating with our county partners and with our federal partners is really important in order for us to provide sort of a force multiplier outside of the resources that I have at my disposal."
Bull City United is among the community partners attacking gun violence in Durham.
"We attack violence as a public health issue. We treat violence like it’s a treatable disease," said David Johnson, a supervisor for the nonprofit.
Based in the McDougald Terrace housing complex, Bull City United focuses its efforts on neighborhoods that see the most violent crime. Many of its staffers are convicted criminals and former gang members who have turned their lives around.
"I know that life very well," said Johnson, who served time for attempted murder. "So, I go back and try to teach them and try to tell them there’s a better way of living."
Bull City United staffers use conversation and community contacts to prevent the retaliation that Davis says often ends in gun violence.
"With us being in the community and having ears to the streets, there’s a lot of people reaching out that want help to stop this violence, especially when you’ve got kids involved that’s losing their life," staffer Convellus Parker said.
"It’s something we work on daily, trying to stop violence and prevent violence," Johnson said. "We were once part of the problem. Now, we’re trying to be a part of the solution. What better way or what better person to go back and tell those individuals that there’s a better way of life?"
