An early-morning drive-by shooting turned a stretch of pavement at Durham's McDougald Terrace public-housing complex into a crime-scene grid of yellow markers on Friday, with neighbors rattled and police combing the street for clues. Officers sealed off the intersection of East Lawson Street and Ridgeway Avenue while crime-scene technicians documented the scene and gathered spent shell casings from the roadway. By the time reporters left, authorities had not shared any information about possible injuries or arrests.
According to CBS17, reporters Nick Bentley and Ben Bokun watched as officers logged what they described as dozens of shell casings scattered across the street. The outlet reported that Durham police photographed evidence markers lined up along the roadway, then collected each casing to be turned over for ballistics testing. Detectives stayed on site, going door to door and looking for witnesses or camera footage that might help pinpoint suspects or a vehicle involved.
Evidence on the street
Durham police said they recovered ballistics evidence at the corner where the gunfire erupted and that forensic specialists were cataloging everything collected. The McDougald Terrace complex and nearby East Durham blocks have been the scene of several shootings in recent years, a pattern chronicled in local coverage. For more on earlier incidents in the area, see reporting by WRAL and ABC11.
Police ask for tips
As of the initial reports, Durham police had not released any details about victims or suspects, and the investigation stayed active into Friday morning. As CBS17 noted, officers collected the shell casings for routine ballistics analysis while detectives continued searching for witnesses. Anyone with information or video related to the shooting is asked to contact Durham Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200 to submit an anonymous tip.
