A fight on Durham's Lowry Avenue turned dangerous Saturday afternoon when someone pulled out a gun and fired a shot, though no one was struck by the gunfire itself. An adult man suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the assault and was taken to a local hospital, while a woman involved was also taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pain.
Durham Police responded to a disturbance involving a weapon in the 1000 block of Lowry Avenue, according to authorities cited by ABC11 News. Officers determined that one person pulled out a gun and fired a shot during the altercation, but the gunfire did not strike any person at the scene, per authorities. The man was assaulted during the confrontation and later taken to the hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Durham CrimeStoppers has accepted tips about the incident, and information providers can remain anonymous, per CrimeStoppers policy. The organization offers cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to felony-case arrests, and it collects tips through phone calls, online forms, and the P3 mobile app without gathering identifying caller data, according to the City of Durham. The program relies on unique assigned code numbers rather than caller identity to protect anonymity.
A Neighborhood With a Recent History of Gunfire
The Saturday altercation is not the first violent, gun-related incident on that stretch of Lowry Avenue this year. In April, Durham Police responded to a morning shooting inside a residence in the same 1000 block that injured a woman and led to the arrest of a 48-year-old convicted felon charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, according to Spectacular Magazine. That earlier case unfolded in the same residential area east of downtown Durham, near North Alston Avenue and Holloway Street — a block officially renamed from Mallard Street by the Durham City Council back in May 1995.
Whether the parties in Saturday's fight knew each other, and whether officers recovered the weapon or identified who fired it, remain open questions in the investigation. It is also unclear what charges, if any, will ultimately be filed.
What North Carolina Law Says About Firing a Gun in a Fight
The legal exposure in cases like this can vary widely depending on what investigators establish. Under North Carolina General Statute § 14-32, assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury or committed with intent to kill is classified as a Class E felony punishable by up to 88 months in prison, rising to a Class C felony if both intent and serious injury are proven, according to the Manning Law Firm. Firearms are treated as per se deadly weapons under state law.
By contrast, participating in a public fight or affray without a weapon or serious injury is prosecuted only as a Class 2 misdemeanor under N.C.G.S. § 14-33, carrying 30 to 60 days in jail depending on prior convictions, per Randall Law. Separately, the City of Durham's municipal code makes it illegal to discharge a firearm within city limits outside of authorized law enforcement duties or permitted firing ranges, with violations subject to fines up to $500 per day under state authorization in N.C.G.S. § 160A-189.
Part of a Broader Citywide Trend
Saturday's episode adds to a mounting count of firearm incidents across Durham this year. Departmental shooting statistics from the Durham Police Department showed the city had recorded over 200 criminal firearm discharge incidents in 2026 through August 1, as previously reported by Hoodline. City of Durham first-quarter data also showed Part 1 violent crime citywide rose 4.6% compared to the same period in 2025, driven largely by a 14.8% jump in aggravated assaults, even as overall property crime fell 6.1% over the same span.
The picture is somewhat different at the county level. Mid-point 2026 crime data released by the Durham County Sheriff's Office showed an 8.7% reduction in the top eight Part 1 crimes across county jurisdictions from January through June compared to 2025, including a 12% drop in larcenies countywide. The contrast underscores how municipal and county figures can diverge even within the same region.
Anyone with information about Saturday's shooting is encouraged to contact Durham CrimeStoppers, which can process anonymous tips toward the reward for information leading to a felony arrest.
