Newly unsealed court documents suggest the man shot and killed near a bus stop in east Durham on New Year’s Eve may have been gunned down in retaliation. According to the filing, the victim had killed another man in self-defense just days earlier, and detectives allege the shooting four days later was a calculated response. Authorities now accuse 25-year-old Kaheem Shylik Jackson of the killing and say they are still looking for at least one accomplice.
As outlined by The News & Observer, investigators say surveillance video shows two men dressed in all black with balaclavas stepping out of a gold 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt near a Raynor Street bus stop and opening fire on the victim. The warrant says officers recovered 13 shell casings at the scene, and photos attached to the filing show a bus stopped where the shooting happened. The documents also say Jackson told detectives his brother had been killed on Dec. 27, a death investigators later determined was a self-defense killing.
Victim identified, police asking for tips
Durham police identified the victim as 23-year-old Lawrence Hunt Jr. and said the shooting occurred shortly after 10:45 a.m. near Raynor Street and North Miami Boulevard, according to WRAL. The outlet reports that officers initially had no suspects and urged anyone with information to call Investigator D. Bussell or submit an anonymous tip through CrimeStoppers. Local reporters say neighbors and family members have been shaken by the sudden violence in that shopping-center area.
Investigators link a Marketplace sale to the car
Detectives say they seized Jackson’s phone and traced a Facebook Marketplace purchase of a gold 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt he allegedly bought for $750 on Dec. 30, the night before the killing, The News & Observer reports. Surveillance footage from a Food Lion parking lot allegedly confirmed the sale, and a detective wrote that the damage on the Cobalt Jackson bought appeared to match the vehicle seen in the homicide video. Court filings show Jackson was taken into custody on related warrants in January, posted a $100,000 bond on Jan. 20, and was arrested again in April; he faces murder and felony-conspiracy charges.
Why this matters
The newly unsealed filings give prosecutors and neighbors a clearer view of possible motive at a time when Durham has seen a string of fatal shootings, and local coverage has highlighted pressure on investigators to develop leads. Reporting by local outlets has noted disparities in homicide clearance rates between Durham and nearby cities, adding urgency to public appeals for information. Police say tips remain crucial to moving the case forward and again urged anyone with knowledge of the shooting to contact investigators.
