Durham man charged in 7-year-old's shooting death denied bond
DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A Durham man was denied bond Wednesday on murder charges in connection with a fatal weekend shooting of a 7-year-old boy.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Service's Joint Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Service's Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested 28-year-old Devon Maurice Fowler Tuesday night at the Extended Stay America on Bluestone Drive in Raleigh.
Fowler, of Junction Road in Durham, is charged with murder and felony conspiracy in connection with Kamari Munerlyn's death.
On Sunday, the first grader was riding in a Honda Pilot with nine other people after a pool party when a gunman opened fire on the SUV.
In court Wednesday, the judge ruled that Fowler be held in jail without bond as Munerlyn's family members looked on.
Officials had extra security present during Fowler's first court appearance.
Before Fowler's arrest, Munerlyn's mother, Felicia Parker, told ABC11 in an interview early Tuesday that she knew who took her son's life, but would not release their identity.
RELATED: Durham mom claims she knows who killed her 7-year-old son
The family feared speaking out because of possible retaliation. They said they thought the incident was gang related.
"I'm not going to say no names," Parker said. "God gonna handle it. The police gonna handle it."
While investigators have said they believe the incident was not a random act, they haven't released any official information supporting Parker's claims.
RELATED: Durham police identify child shot, still seeking suspect
Parker said she isn't sure why her family was targeted; however, others speculate that her boyfriend was the real target.
"I've been through a lot," she said. "I've always been targeted."
Parker claims she's a victim of three shootings that have occurred since 2016, one of those attacks happened on the night of January 29, 2016.
Parker didn't want to go in detail; however, Durham police confirmed the January attack, adding that just two months ago bullets were fired at Parker's vehicle.
The revelation is drawing criticism from the public and questions around Kamari's safety in Parker's care.
"I love my son," Parker said. "He was well taken care of when he was here."
The family plans to honor Kamari with a candlelight vigil Thursday night. The memorial will take place on the corner of Guess Road near Tokyo Express at 8 p.m.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for Kamari's funeral expenses.
