ABC11 exclusive: Mother of Durham shooting victim speaks out

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Sunday, May 15, 2016
ABC11 exclusive: Mother of Durham shooting victim speaks out
Vanessa Bowling spoke to ABC11 about the death of her son

DURHAM (WTVD) -- A man was shot and killed in the 1200 block of Dayton Street in Durham on Saturday, according to police.

Officers responded to a shooting call at the McDougald Terrace complex just after 1:20 p.m.

When they arrived, officers said they found the victim, 33-year-old Kevin Bowling, dead at the scene.

The victim's mother, Vanessa Bowling, rushed over after learning from a relative that her son had been shot. She says her son would often come to the community to work on vehicles for friends or relatives.

"That was my son, my oldest son. This is crazy. This is crazy," she said. "He doesn't bother anybody. He turned his life around. He started back going to church. He has four little boys."

She says she was told there was some sort of altercation between her son and another person before the incident.

A neighbor says she called 911 while comforting Kevin Bowling. She claims a female officer rode past the scene four times and didn't get out of her car. Police say they will look into that claim once it's reported to its internal affairs division.

After the tensions calmed, the Bowling family prayed.

Authorities are still investigating the shooting. So far there have been no arrests. Police say neighbors are not offering many clues.

Vanessa Bowling says she's disappointed.

"You know what's sad, all these nosey a-- people out here. No one seen nothing," she said. "That's the sad part."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Q. Tait at (919) 560-4440, ext. 29332 or CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.