Investigators say a man was told to leave the restaurant shortly before 3:25 a.m. by two off-duty Durham County Sheriff's deputies, but returned a few minutes’ later and fired shots into the restaurant.
Durham police say Delia Allen, 46, of Lancaster Street, was taken to the hospital in serious condition, and later died.
Allen’s family says it’s been hard to come to terms with her death.
“It’s like everybody is still paralyzed,” her Niece Freda Silver said. “It’s hard, she raised me, and to know that I will never see her again on this side is hard – it’s really hard.”
Allen was a single mother, who was raising her teenage daughter.
“I want to know what was going through their mind that was so important that they needed to go and get a gun, go out, and come back with a gun, and shoot anybody in there,” Silver said.
Another person, a 24-year-old male whose name has not been released, was grazed by a bullet, but not seriously hurt.
There is no word on what prompted the violence, or who police suspect in the shooting, though investigators say they do not believe the victims knew the suspect.
Authorities say the shooter got away after fleeing through the parking lot.
IHOP restaurant was expected to re-open on Sunday, and have grief counselors on hand for traumatized employees.
Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator Soucie at (919) 560-4440 ext. 29337, or CrimeStoppers.
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