Ariuna Michelle Cotton, a 15-year-old African American girl from Durham, North Carolina, tragically lost her life on December 13, 2021. Ariuna was a sophomore at Hillside High School and was known for her love of singing and dancing. On the night of her death, she was riding in a Hyundai SUV with six other juveniles when someone opened fire on their vehicle near the intersection of Eugene and Mathison streets. The shooting occurred around 3 a.m., and the car subsequently crashed.
Ariuna and 19-year-old Isaiah Carrington, a former student at Northern High and Performance Learning Center, were both killed in the incident. Four other juveniles in the car, aged between 12 and 17, were injured but survived.
The vehicle they were riding in had been reported stolen the day before the shooting. Despite the ongoing investigation, Durham police have not yet identified any suspects or made any arrests related to the case. Ariuna's grandmother, Ann Applewhite, expressed her heartbreak and frustration over the lack of progress in the investigation. She mentioned that Ariuna had left the house without her knowledge on the night of the shooting and was with the wrong people at the wrong time.
The community has been deeply affected by Ariuna's death, with family and friends holding memorials and signing posters in her memory. Ariuna's family is still seeking answers and justice for her untimely death. They have urged anyone with information about the case to come forward and assist the authorities in their investigation.
Ariuna's death is part of a broader issue of gun violence in Durham, which has seen a significant number of unsolved homicides. The lack of resolution in Ariuna's case has left her family and the community in a state of grief and uncertainty. The family continues to cope with the loss while hoping for a breakthrough in the investigation that will bring those responsible to justice.
