A reported drive-by shooting on Barbee Road in South Durham involved at least two possible victims Thursday afternoon and forced a nearby elementary school into a precautionary secure status while police worked the scene. Durham police were investigating a report of shots fired near Community Baptist Church, with the incident unfolding close enough to Pearsontown Elementary School that the school was placed on secure status as a safety measure.
According to ABC11 News, Durham police confirmed they were investigating a report of shots fired, and the shooting was described as a drive-by involving at least two possible victims in the area. The station reported the incident occurred on Barbee Road near Community Baptist Church, and that Pearsontown Elementary School was placed on secure status before it was later lifted. The report remains a developing story, with the exact number and medical condition of those hurt not yet confirmed.
The distance between Community Baptist Church and Pearsontown Elementary is not specified here, and Barbee Road is mentioned in connection with the incident.
What a Secure Status Actually Means
Pearsontown Elementary was placed on secure status while police investigated nearby shots fired, and the status was later lifted, according to ABC11.
Pearsontown Elementary is the nearby school mentioned in reports about the Barbee Road incident.
A Pattern of Vehicle-Targeted Shootings in South Durham
The Barbee Road incident followed a September 12 shooting in the nearby Parkwood neighborhood in which a driver was shot and killed on Revere Road. The supplied report said police had not identified a suspect or announced a motive. The case was also referenced in a Reddit thread. Hoodline covered that shooting in gunfire that tore through Parkwood.
On Wednesday, Durham police were also investigating a separate vehicle-targeted shooting on Glenbrook Drive, where a car was left riddled with bullet holes and a male victim was hospitalized, a case Hoodline reported in Durham Glenbrook Drive shooting leaves man hospitalized. The reports describe separate shootings involving vehicles in the area.
Violent Crime Trends and Broader Context
Durham Police Department data released in September 2026 showed Part 1 violent crime in the city had increased roughly 4% year-to-date compared with the same period in 2025, even after overall violent crime had fallen by 16.9% during the 2025 calendar year, according to figures shared by the City of Durham. City leaders have discussed a Violence Reduction Plan and community meetings.
State public safety profile data for Durham County shows firearms were involved in 85% of homicides over a 10-year period, and 193 county residents visited emergency departments for firearm-related injuries in 2024, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 14-34.1, willfully discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle in operation is classified as a Class D felony, escalating to a Class C felony if the discharge causes serious bodily injury, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
Anyone with information about the Barbee Road shooting is asked to contact Durham CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200, a confidential tip line that offers cash rewards ranging from $100 to $2,000 for information leading to a felony arrest, according to the City of Durham. The number and condition of victims from the Barbee Road shooting had not been confirmed as of Thursday, and this remains a developing story.
