Inside Duke's Trauma Bay: What rising Durham gun violence looks like up close

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- New data shows violent crime in Durham increased in the first quarter of the year, and doctors at Duke Health say many of the gunshot victims they treat are young Black men.

The first minutes after a gunshot victim arrives in Duke's emergency department are often the difference between life and death.

"We have nurses, techs, trauma surgeons. The whole surgery team comes down as well," said Dr. John Purakal, an emergency room physician. "We come together as a team and collaborate and try to act as quickly as we can to identify injuries and treat them accordingly."

Purakal said there are stretches when his team treats victims of gun violence every day. The issue, he added, is not unique to Durham. He previously worked in Chicago and Detroit, where he saw the toll gun violence takes on communities and sometimes spent entire shifts treating multiple victims.

"Multiple victims coming in on the same day. Those are horrible days for everyone involved," he said. "The patients, their families, but also everyone from a care standpoint."

When patients do not survive, Purakal said he carries the weight of delivering the news.

"It's very challenging," he said. "You never know how people are going to react. As a provider, my job is to be as upfront and honest and thoughtful as I can when I give that news."

Newly released data shows violent crime in Durham increased 4.6% from January through March compared with the same period last year. Police reported 13 homicides in the first quarter, up from nine during the same time in 2023.

Dr. Malcolm DeBaun, Duke Health's chief of orthopedic surgery, said many of the injuries he treats stem from gunfire.

"A lot of the injuries that I see too commonly are injuries from ballistic trauma or violence," he said. "I'm taking care of patients with injuries from a gunshot wound or a broken bone."

DeBaun leads the Durham Impact Project, a partnership between Duke Health and the city of Durham that launched last year. The program works with local barbershops to reach young people at risk of gun violence.

"Leveraging relationships within the barbershop to try to be a positive influence on youth at risk was the inspiration behind this," he said. "But it's beyond the barbershop."

The program recently received funding to continue for another year. DeBaun said the work is ongoing, and progress depends on consistency.

"The most important thing is what we can do within our scope of influence to create change," he said. "And that takes one person at a time. One patient at a time."

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