Man shot on 15-501 in Durham was over road rage, police say. GoFundMe set up to assist him.
A shooting on U.S. 15-501 last week that left a man with serious injuries and blocked off a lane of traffic was a road rage incident, the Durham Police Department said Monday.
On April 21, police did not state a motive for the shooting, which police responded to before 4 p.m. The road shooting led to a lane closure that caused traffic delays during rush hour near Cornwallis Road.
Chris Stinnett was hospitalized after he was shot in a back, according to a GoFundMe online fundraising page set up to cover his medical expenses.
The suspect fled the scene in a dark SUV vehicle, police told The News & Observer. The suspect has not been identified, and the SUV has not been found, police said.
This case remains an active investigation, police said.
Chopper video from ABC 11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner, showed a police squad car parked in the middle of the highway heading southbound. A black SUV nearby was stopped on the right shoulder with its driver’s door open.
The N&O has requested a police incident report and recordings of a 911 call that police responded to.
This was the second road rage shooting in four days. The Durham County Sheriff’s Office reported a road rage incident that occurred on Sunday morning. That shooting happened near U.S. 70 and Page Road with multiple vehicles. Two people were taken to the hospital — one with non-life threatening injuries from being shot and another from being assaulted.
GoFundMe set up for victim
An online fundraiser to support Stinnett has so far raised over $17,000 as of 7 p.m. Monday with a goal of $25,000.
“On Thursday April 21, 2022, our dear friend Chris Stinnett was the victim of a senseless road rage shooting that has left him in the hospital with a bullet remaining in his back and a long road of recovery ahead of him,” wrote a friend who set up the page. “While we can never truly plan for things like this, unfortunately Chris does not have any health insurance to cover the costs of his Emergency Department stay, time spent in the Surgical ICU, and upcoming PT appointments.”
Todd Daymont, who contributed $1,000, said he has known Stinnett for around 30 years, since he went to Jordan High School and Stinnett to Riverside High School.
“Chris is a longtime friend from school days, and he’s like a brother,” said Daymont in a phone interview. “I know that if I were having issues, he would do the same for me.”
Daymont said the donation comes from American Party Rentals, the business he owns with his brothers.
“We want to help, by God,” said Daymont. “The $25,000 goal is a drop in a bucket in regards to what he’s done (for others.)”
The day before Stinnett was shot, Daymont said a friend witnessed a driver brandish a gun in his car on the same highway as Stinnett’s accident to threaten another driver. Road rage is a concerning issue, Daymont said.
“People seem emboldened to act poorly,” he said.
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 5:10 PM.
