Woman shot in Durham, apartment, vehicle struck by gunfire

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Durham Police are investigating a shooting that left a woman injured Thursday evening.

It happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. near East Lawson Street and Wabash Street near the McDougald Terrace public housing complex.

The woman was taken to the hospital with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.

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"It's unfortunate for the people who actually live here...who don't have anything to do with what's going on," said Raphael Royster.

He said his 7-year-old great-great nephew lives at McDougald Terrace and had just brought him back from a doctor's appointment.

"I just happened to park in the back...right by the door. Next thing I know about 30 minutes later...just a lot of gunfire," Royster said.

Durham Mayor Leo Williams said 100 shots were fired. Some of those bullets hit Royster's car.

"Once it was over, I came outside. I was more concerned with people...but then I happened to notice my car with five bullet holes in it and now it's part of the crime scene,' he said.

Another vehicle could be seen at the scene with a smashed window at the corner of East Lawson and Wabash Street. More cars were hit along with an apartment in the corner of building 46 of the complex

"The residents were on point with each other because today could've been a lot more catastrophic," said Jontae Dunston, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor last year.

Dunston organized a civilian-like patrol around the neighborhood. He believes that Shotspotter, which was stopped after the city council voted it down, would have alerted police to this shooting more quickly.

He also thinks the technology itself was a deterrent to people looking to cause trouble.

"We can get new sidewalks that cost more than what that system would've cost us....I'm thinking about saving lives around here," Dunston said.

No other details were immediately released.

The shooting remains under active investigation.

DPD said it was "unknown at this time" whether the shooting was connected to an earlier shooting on Pettigrew Street.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200 or online at www.durhamcrimestoppers.org. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.

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