Durham leaders warn against celebratory gunfire after woman, 73, shot on New Year’s Eve
City leaders urged Durham residents Monday night to recognize the sudden loss a grieving family now faces after police found a woman fatally shot on New Year’s Eve.
Police said Deloris Evans Burwell, 73, died from her injuries after the Friday night shooting on Robinhood Road in East Durham in an incident “related to celebratory gunfire.”
“In regards to this celebratory gunfire, $500 and a misdemeanor — that’s the max punishment that this city can charge, if they are caught,” said Council member Leonardo Williams.
“What I want to say to the folks that are doing it, it could be you next. It could be your grandmother, your neighbor or your mom, or your father or your friend, brother or sister that could get hit next. And I hope that we will just take a moment to really, really, really realize how close and personal this can be for you, because it is for someone already” Williams said.
Police responded to a cardiac arrest call shortly after 10:50 p.m., according to a Durham Police Department news release. They found Burwell lying unconscious in a driveway. Officers began performing life-saving measures and she was taken to a hospital by Durham County Emergency Medical Services, where it was determined she had been shot, according to police. She later died.
Mayor Pro Tem Mark-Anthony Middleton called the shooting a heartbreaking start to the new year.
“There is nothing celebratory about gunfire,” he said. “It is perhaps the most irresponsible, dumbest thing you can do, and pardon the directness of my language. Anything you’re celebrating will be undone by firing a gun randomly into the sky.”
New Mayor Elaine O’Neal offered her condolences.
“My heart goes out to all of those families that have lost loved ones to this gun violence,” she said. “I spent a lot of time thinking of them [during the holidays] and what it does when you get that kind of news.”
The investigation is ongoing, and police have announced no arrests or suspects.
Celebratory gunfire risks
Police warn every year that celebratory gunfire can be deadly.
A Durham woman was shot and killed on the Fourth of July in 2020 while sitting on a friend’s porch. Paulette Thorpe, 74, was a mother of five and retired nurse, The News & Observer previously reported.
On New Year’s Day 2019, a 22-year-old woman was shot in the early morning hours amid the celebration on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. It was not a life-threatening injury.
Bullets fired into the air don’t just go into space — they come back down, killing and injuring people, The N&O has reported.
Anyone with information about the New Year’s Eve fatal shooting is asked to call investigators at 919-560-4440, ext. 29529 or Durham CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers do not have to identify themselves.
Robinhood Road is in East Durham between Cheek Road and North Miami Boulevard.
Earlier on New Year’s Eve, police were investigating a separate shooting nearby in the 1100 block of Fiske Street that sent two males to the hospital. One was seriously injured and the other had a non-life threatening injury, according to police. No age information was available.
Fiske Street is in East Durham between North Miami Boulevard and U.S. 70.
This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Durham leaders warn against celebratory gunfire after woman, 73, shot on New Year’s Eve."
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