Father charged with murder after shooting his son in northern Durham County fight

The Durham County Sheriff’s Office has charged a man who fatally shot his adult son last month with murder.

On March 17, a deputy responding to the shooting on Red Mountain Road in the Rougemont community in northern Durham County found 39-year-old Matthew Lockamy fatally shot outside his home, The News & Observer reported.

Witnesses told investigators there had been a “physical altercation” between Lockamy and his father, Kenneth Wendell Lockamy. Emergency medical workers could not revive Matthew Lockamy, and his father was taken to the hospital with injuries from the fight.

Kenneth Lockamy, 68, was charged Monday and is being held at the Durham County jail on $500,000 bail, according to jail records.

‘I think I may have killed him’

Sheriff’s deputies had responded to the house at least 10 times since 2022, according to a history of 911 calls requested by The N&O.

Two of the calls were Priority 1, which require immediate assistance and can involve a threat to someone’s life, The N&O previously reported.

A man who identified himself as Kenneth Lockamy called 911 the Sunday night of the fight to report the shooting, according to a recording of the call.

“I had to shoot the man; he beat me up and came back to hurt me some more,” he said on the call. “I feared for my life, and I shot at him. I think I may have killed him.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2024 at 8:27 AM with the headline "Father charged with murder after shooting his son in northern Durham County fight."