Teens planned a fight at a Durham park — then bullets flew. Why 1 suspect is free
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- Gracie Landa, 19, was released on $50,000 secured bond in a May 30, 2025, killing.
- Christopher Piedrasanta-Perez, 23, died in the shooting at Whippoorwill Park.
- Landa’s attorney says she is about to give birth and was abused by her codefendant.
A teenager charged with murder in an alleged ambush shooting at a Durham public park last year is out on bond while she awaits the birth of her child.
Gracie Elizabeth Faye Landa, 19, was arrested last August in the May 30, 2025, death of Christopher Piedrasanta-Perez, 23, of Durham, The News & Observer previously reported. Edy Steven Flores Reyes, 24, is also charged with murder in the case. Reyes and Landa share a child, and Landa is expecting their second child later this month, according to court documents.
Piedrasanta-Perez was killed and two women were seriously injured when at least two people fired multiple rounds into their vehicle at Whippoorwill Park around 12:30 a.m., according to court documents.
The alleged ambush took place when the three victims arrived so one of the women could fight Landa, who went by “Casey” on social media, search warrants state. Landa and one of the female victims had traded Instagram messages after the victim’s sister considered dating Reyes, according to search warrants.
In a bond motion hearing in Durham County court last week, Landa’s defense attorney, Olivia Warren, said her client faced significant medical challenges at the Durham County jail, which was not equipped to handle a third-trimester pregnancy. Landa was transferred to the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women, but that didn’t solve the issue, according to her lawyer.
“Her weight has declined precipitously,” Warren said. “She is losing weight to the point that medical providers flagged that her diet needs to be reviewed immediately because it is not meeting the demands of pregnancy.”
Landa’s life had been marked by years of abuse, prompting her to flee foster care in Florida to return to family in Durham, according to Warren. Landa had been flagged as missing out of Florida when she was 16 in 2023, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said they suspected she’d traveled to Durham, The N&O previously reported.
It was in Durham that Landa met Reyes; he was allegedly in his mid-20s when they met, while Landa was 15 or 16, Warren said.
“He soon began an abusive relationship with her, following the patterns of abuse that are all she has ever known,” Warren said.
Their first child was born in April 2025, and Landa became pregnant again within months, according to Warren. She learned she was pregnant after being arrested.
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Foghludha approved a joint motion by Warren and Assistant District Attorney Alex Herskowitz to set Landa’s bail at $50,000 secured. She posted bond April 10, court records show.
While Landa is out on bail, she will be on electronic monitoring and will be under the care of a Durham nonprofit that has made plans to support her as she awaits trial, according to Warren. Warren would not name the nonprofit in court last week, citing “safety concerns.”
Piedrasanta-Perez’s parents both spoke at the hearing, saying they trusted God to deliver justice for their son and didn’t have hatred for Landa or Reyes. They learned their son had been killed on his sister’s 14th birthday, according to his mother, Amelia Perez.
The killing has traumatized their family, including Piedrasanta-Perez’s younger sisters, their mother said.
“It was hard for me to convince my 14-year-old daughter to celebrate her sweet 15th because, after everything happened, she says that she’ll never want to celebrate her birthday again,” Perez recalled.
Reyes remained in the Durham County jail without bail as of Friday afternoon. A trial date has not been set for either defendant.
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Teens planned a fight at a Durham park — then bullets flew. Why 1 suspect is free."
