Durham police are investigating after a man was shot and killed Monday evening near the American Tobacco Trail in Durham. Officers were called around 6:30 p.m. to the 3000 block of Fayetteville Street, where they found the victim with life-threatening injuries, then rushed him to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Evidence markers stretched from a nearby store toward the trail, underscoring how close the shooting came to one of the city’s busiest walking routes. Investigators were still working the scene at 11 p.m., and police had not said whether they had identified a suspect.
The killing was the second deadly case near the American Tobacco Trail in the past month. On March 9, Durham police investigated a fatal stabbing in almost the same spot. A 51-year-old man died in that attack, and earlier this month police arrested and charged a 46-year-old man in connection with the death.
That timing has left the trail under fresh scrutiny, especially because both the stabbing and Monday’s shooting happened while many people were still using the path. CrimeStoppers is offering cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrests in felony cases, and investigators can be reached at 560-4440 ext. 29537, 943-3875 or 683-1200.
For now, the immediate question is not whether the trail has seen violence before. It has. The question is whether Durham police can stop this stretch from becoming known for it.
