RESEARCH TRIANGLE REGION, N.C. — The week of Sept. 8–14, 2025, saw a wave of significant arrests and investigations across the Triangle — from a Durham graduation party shooting suspect captured to a Wayne County caretaker facing 198 felony charges. Law enforcement also tackled drug busts, car break-ins, nightclub gunfire, and multi-county coordinated operations, keeping both officers and residents on high alert.
DURHAM COUNTY
Man Charged in Durham Graduation Party Shooting (Sept. 9)
Durham Police arrested Ricario Purefoy, 20, in connection with a June 16 shooting that injured two teens at a graduation party on Fayetteville Street. He faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm into occupied property, felony conspiracy, and drug-related offenses. Both victims survived, and investigators are still seeking additional witnesses and suspects.
Durham County Teen Charged in Durham Motel Murder (Sept. 12)
Dwayne Anthony Lovett Jr., 17, was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Suliman Nazir Burnette, 18, at the SureStay Plus Hotel on Hillsborough Road last month. Court documents allege Lovett fired a 9mm handgun into the lobby, killing Burnette. Lovett is being held under a $1.5 million bond in Cumberland County and is scheduled for his first court appearance Monday.
Man Injured in Downtown Durham Shooting (Sept. 14)…