Durham city officials announced plans Monday to increase security forces on city transit buses for the next 30 days in response to recent violence.
Saturday Jan. 7 around 4:34 p.m., a 17-year-old was shot multiple times on one of the city's public buses, run by the Durham Area Transit Authority.
There were about 20 passengers on the bus at the time of the shooting.
The event was the most immediate cause for increased security measures, officials said.
In addition to Saturday's shooting, a fatal Dec. 26 shooting-following an altercation on a DATA bus-also prompted local concerns about the safety of the bus system.
Philip Williams, watch commander for the Durham Police Department, said more officers will be allotted for security on the buses and more units than usual will be assigned to patrol around the downtown bus depot.
"We're just trying to reassure the public and make people feel safe riding the buses," he said.
The DATA bus system-which serves more than 10,000 riders a day-has several bus stops bordering campus, including multiple stops along Erwin Road around the Duke University Medical Center.
Many Duke employees use the transportation system to commute to and from their work at the University.
Walter Dewinter, a Duke Stores employee who has been riding Durham buses since 1970, said although news of another shooting "wasn't unexpected," he thinks the new security measures taken by the city are a move in the right direction.
"I'm glad someone is reacting and saying 'let's put more security on the buses,'" Dewinter said.
Leanora Minai, senior public relations specialist for the Duke University Police Department, said although Duke-adjacent bus stops are part of the University's routine patrols, Duke police do not staff security for the DATA bus system.
"Of course we will definitely continue to assess the situation and see if that would need to change," she added. "But right now we're not part of the extra security."
Police have yet to apprehend suspects in the two DATA-related shootings.
Kenneth Patterson and Michael Lee, both 17, are charged with assault with a deadly weapon for Saturday's shooting. They were arrested Tuesday.
Lamar Bass, also 17, is still being sought by police as the murder suspect in the Dec. 26 incident.
Six security cameras caught Saturday's violence on tape. In videos released by DATA officials Monday, a scuffle between several teenagers resulted in gunfire.
Police have also suggested that the shooting may have been gang-related.
The victim was listed in critical condition when he was taken to Duke University Hospital. His condition improved, however, and he has since been released.
Monday's announcement was only the most recent change in increased city security for DATA buses.
In 2004 Durham provided security for the buses-also in response to gun violence-through a private security firm, Wackenhut Corporation. The firm still provides service at the downtown bus terminal but no longer works on the buses.
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