Officers say it happened Monday night in the 500 block of Liberty Street.
Police responded to a shooting call shortly after 10:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found a man had been shot. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The victim's sister tells ABC11 he was a Gulf War Veteran and a good man.
This deadly shooting comes just weeks before community meetings are scheduled to discuss the controversial ShotSpotter program that will place sensors in communities alerting police when gunshots are fired.
"I don't know what ShotSpotter would've done in this case but I have said time and time again that it's not just about catching the bad guy. It's also about saving lives. And it's also not the only tool that should be in our tool box," Durham Mayor Pro Temp Anthony Middleton said.
Based on preliminary investigation, the shooting does not appear to be random.
Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator A. Bongarten at (919) 560-4440, ext. 29529 or CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200.