Police say Victoria James was killed and another passenger was injured when shots were fired into the vehicle she was driving.
DURHAM, N.C. — A 38-year-old Durham man has been charged with first-degree murder and other felonies after police said he fired into an SUV Saturday afternoon, killing the woman behind the wheel and injuring a passenger.
Durham police identified the driver as Victoria James, 43, of Durham. Officers responded around 1:30 p.m. Sept. 12 to Revere Road near Sedwick Road after a report of a shooting. Investigators said James was driving a Mitsubishi Outlander south on Revere Road when gunfire struck the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police arrested Lontrel Diray Alston, 38, in connection with the shooting. Authorities charged him with first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, a charge involving the discharge of a weapon into an occupied vehicle and habitual misdemeanor assault. The charges are accusations, and the case has not been adjudicated.
A passenger, identified as Dasia James, was taken to a hospital with injuries that police said were not life-threatening. Court records cited in local reporting also identify Jeffery James, 16, as another person in the SUV. He was not injured.
An arrest warrant alleges Alston fatally shot Victoria James, wounded Dasia James and assaulted Jeffery James while firing a handgun into the occupied SUV. Authorities have not publicly detailed what led to the shooting or released a motive.
The case centers on gunfire directed at a vehicle carrying three people along a Durham road in the middle of the afternoon. The murder charge relates to Victoria James’ death, while the assault charges concern the other occupants, according to the allegations described in the warrant.
Police have not released additional information about Dasia James’ condition beyond saying her injuries were not considered life-threatening. Investigators also have not announced whether additional evidence, including a firearm, was recovered as part of the case.
Authorities have not publicly described any relationship between Alston and the people in the SUV. No detailed account of the events immediately before the shooting has been released, leaving the circumstances that preceded the gunfire among the unresolved questions in the investigation.
Durham police said the investigation remains ongoing. Additional information could emerge through the continuing police investigation and court proceedings tied to the charges against Alston.
Author note: Last updated September 14, 2026.