An investigation was underway into the July 4 shooting death of a 74-year-old North Carolina woman who police said was the innocent victim of the reckless “celebratory gunshots.”
Durham police were called at around 11pm at their home address to report a gunshot wound, according to reports.
The victim, Paulette Thorpe, was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said.
“Last night, as the people of Durham peacefully celebrated the July 4 holiday with their friends and family, a few decided to put our community at risk by carelessly firing weapons into the air,” said Police Chief Cerelyn Davis.
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“This reckless behavior led to the tragic death of Ms. Paulette Thorpe,” he said. “Em. Thorpe’s death reminds us that we as a community must work together to prevent these senseless acts so that no family suffers such a tragedy ever again.”
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Hours before the shooting, a post on the Durham Police Department Facebook page warned against shooting weapons in the air, noting that in Durham, celebratory shooting was a crime, punishable by a fine of up to $ 500.
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“Here’s why: Bullets fired into the air can travel a great distance,” the post said. “And what goes up, most of the time, must go down … and sometimes it has fatal consequences for people and pets.”
