Man found dead behind Durham home

Officers were dispatched to the 2800 block of Ashe Street at about 6:30 p.m., where they found the man's body behind a house.

When they knocked on the door of the home, they thought they heard movement and said they believed someone was barricaded inside. A "standoff" ensued that involved police breaking out a window in the home, and several loud bangs were heard.

At 2 a.m. Monday, officers finally went inside the home and found that no one was inside.

Ashe Street residents said the suspicous death worries them, noting that a man was shot to death outside a convenience store about a half-mile away a month ago.

"The neighborhood is just getting a lot worse," Okoye Gordan said. "I've been staying over here a long time in this particular neighborhood. It used to be nice at one point, but you know, every night you hear gunshots and violence.

"We've got to do right by one another and just keep the peace. That's what it's about. That's what it's supposed to be about," Gardner said. "The only way to change it is to start with yourself."

Police haven't yet identified the body, but they said he had been shot.

Anybody with information is asked to call Durham police at 919-560-4440 or Crime Stoppers at 919-683-1200.