Two dead, three injured in Durham shooting

Relatives said a man walked into J.T. Tire, at 2202 E. Geer St., at about 3 p.m. and opened fire on the owner, John R. Turner, another employee and a customer. Property records show Turner owned the store with his wife, Betty T. Turner, whom relatives said was also rushed to a nearby hospital.

"My uncle ain't never done nobody wrong," said Ray Turner. 

The family said John Turner had hit his head as he ducked the gunshots. They said the woman who worked behind the counter was among the dead.

Sheriff's investigators confirmed that Naomi Wright Turner, 65, and Abdelgadir Mergany Abdelganir, 32, were killed in the attack. Representatives of Durham's Best Cab Company said Abdelganir was a driver for the company who had stopped in to fix a tire and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Neighbor Michael Walker said he heard about 10 shots and saw one person lying outside the store covered with a sheet.

Robin Page, who was driving through the intersection of Geer Street and Club Boulevard, said she saw people run from the tire shop yelling. 

"We saw one gentleman laying on the ground. He was not moving," she said. "There was another gentleman on the ground and he was moving."

Authorities said two others suffered gunshot wounds. Family members say they are John Turner, the owner of the store, and an employee, Terry Shaw.

The Durham Sheriff's Office initially reported that five people were shot, but they revised the total down as the investigation continued.

Authorities described the man they were looking for as black, about 6 feet tall, with a tattoo on the left side of his face and wearing a brightly colored T-shirt. He reportedly fled the scene in a silver sedan.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200 or e-mail durham.crimestoppers@durhamnc.gov.