‘We have to do better.’ A call to end to violence a day after Durham girl is killed
Thunder rattled above as Durham-based singer Hezter Boi belted an anthem of love and peace through the downtown streets.
“We are all part of God’s body,” he sang across Durham’s CCB Plaza.
Boi was one of a small group, which included Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews, who gathered together Thursday evening to pray for an end to gun violence in the city.
This week marked a grim milestone in Durham as gun violence claimed its youngest victim so far this year: 5-year-old Khloe Fennell. Khloe was one of two young people shot Wednesday afternoon when police responded to a reported overdose on North Guthrie Avenue near Taylor Street.
Shortly before 2 p.m., they found Khloe and 15-year-old Destiny Sidberry with life-threatening injuries. They were both taken to a hospital where Khloe died, according to media reports.
Shea Ramirez, a local activist who organized Thursday’s event, said she felt called to host a community prayer event after she heard about Khloe’s death.
“We are bigger than what we are experiencing at this given moment,” Ramirez said.
Brian Deshan Luster, 42, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and possession of a firearm by a felon in the shooting, the Durham Police Department said Thursday. Police have not said how Luster is connected to the girls.
“I cannot imagine the pain and grief that mother is feeling right now,” Ramirez said. “We have to do better.”
Ramirez, a self-described woman of faith, repeated several times during the prayer that love — a genuine care and compassion for others — will be what turns the tide in the fight against gun violence.
As of June 24, 90 people had been shot in Durham this year, which was down from the previous two years, police statistics show. Of those, 20 people were fatally shot, the same as 2022 and one fewer than 2021.
Ramirez asked her fellow citizens to invest more time in personal connections and one-on-one conversations.
“I encourage everyone to recognize from this day forward that this gun problem is everyone’s problems,” Ramirez said.
Curtis Peaks, the co-founder of Weaver & Peaks Memorial Funeral Care, a Durham funeral home, told The News & Observer that he has been on the front lines of the city’s violence issues. He said he hopes to be a resource for the community in this time of grief and sorrow.
“Please know that we are standing here with our arms, our doors and our hearts open,” Peaks told the group.
As Ramirez finished speaking, Andrews, the police chief, was moved to tears and hugged Ramirez.
As Boi sustained his triumphant final note, a gentle rain began to fall as he bowed his head in honor of those in his home city lost to gun violence.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 5:30 AM with the headline "‘We have to do better.’ A call to end to violence a day after Durham girl is killed."