Durham gun violence update erupts into confrontation; mayor ends meeting early
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- What was supposed to be a conversation about gun violence in the Bull City ended in confrontation as concerned residents interrupted the mayor, forcing him to end the meeting early.
"We're here today just to provide an update on the latest string of shootings, but also, our response to them," said Durham Mayor Leo Williams.
He announced that the city is partnering with the University of Maryland's Violence Reduction Center to develop anti-violence strategies when a group of activists interrupted. They held signs and raised their voices as they challenged the mayor's approach. The disruption lasted several minutes, which forced the mayor to end the news conference early.
His announcement came as the police chief announced a drop in violent and property crime on Thursday. There have been 22 shootings in 2026. Nine of the shootings were homicides. Larceny tops the list for crimes committed by children.
ABC11 spoke with Durham resident, Elijah Pryor, 54, outside of city hall. He called himself a child of McDougald Terrace. He shared that he believes the city desperately needs to combat gun violence.
"Boots on the ground. Come to McDougald and see how they live. Go to Cornwallis. Not down here where you live in the restaurant area," said Pryor.
The mayor said the partnership with the violence reduction center has proven results, as it has worked to save lives across the country by stopping violence using science. The plan includes holding community listening sessions, as well as establishing street safety teams.
"When he is asked directly about affordable housing, where we're feeding children, and where the youth centers will be, no answers," exclaimed JJ Johnson. "Instead, we're going to bring in someone from Maryland or from another place."
For some residents, the issue isn't research, it's representation.
"You're bringing people from 10 states over to tell us what we need to solve problems in our community," said Donald Hughes. "The people are closest to the pain; they know what they need. We don't value that. This mayor doesn't value that. He believes they know better what we need. That's not going to work in Durham."
While Durham has faced challenges with crime and violence, tools like ShotSpotter and the Real Time Crime Center have been shut down. Williams is now calling for improved community engagement to address gun violence.
"I would like to see more investment in youth engagement. Youth opportunities downtown and throughout the city. I would like to see sports leagues come back. I want to see kids playing in the gymnasium that we have," he told ABC11.
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