A man who shot an intruder in his Orange County home died after someone fired back
An exchange of gunfire during a home invasion robbery in western Orange County early Sunday left one resident dead and one of the intruders injured, according to the sheriff’s department.
Three armed men broke into a home on U.S. 70 near Buckhorn Road at about 12:30 a.m. and demanded money, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Three people were in the house at the time, and one of them fired a shotgun at the intruders, hitting one of them.
One of the intruders returned fire, hitting the resident, before all three fled, according to the sheriff’s office. The resident was taken to Duke University Hospital, where he died during surgery.
The sheriff’s office identified him as Jerry Lee Driggers, 58.
The two other residents of the home reported being held at gunpoint but were not physically harmed, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies arrived at the home about 12:40 a.m.
The sheriff’s office says its deputies found one of the intruders in the parking lot of a business nearby. They say Clarence Brandon Hayes, 28, of Durham had a gunshot wound to the abdomen and underwent surgery at a nearby hospital.
Hayes was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree kidnapping, felony conspiracy and injury to real property. He was still hospitalized Sunday, according to the sheriff’s office.
A K9 unit tried to locate the other two intruders but concluded they were no longer around. The residents of the home described them as men wearing masks and all black clothing, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Charles Blackwood said Sunday afternoon that the crime was “an isolated incident” and that deputies had no reason to think the two other men were still in the immediate area.
“We will continue to investigate, seeking to determine their identities and take them into custody,” Blackwood said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office asks anyone who saw or heard anything near the intersection of U.S. 70 and Buckhorn Road between 12:30 and 1 a.m. to call investigator Dylan Hendricks at 919-245-2951.
This story was originally published March 3, 2024 at 9:31 AM.
