Arthur Holeman Taylor Jr., a 37-year-old African American man from Durham, North Carolina, was tragically killed on July 12, 2015. Taylor, who had been an advocate against gun violence, was found lying in a driveway on the 1400 block of Maplewood Drive. He had been shot multiple times and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The incident also involved another victim, Timothy Wade Samuel, a 25-year-old African American man from Durham, who was also shot but survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators believe that both Taylor and Samuel were victims of an ongoing dispute. Friends of Taylor suggested that the shooting might be related to issues Taylor had with a group of men who rode dirt bikes in the area. Taylor, a longtime dirt bike rider himself, had been working to steer youth away from violence and towards more positive activities.
Taylor's efforts to combat gun violence made his death by gunfire particularly poignant. He was known for his motto, "Bikes up, guns down," and had been trying to start a movement to stop violence and teach kids alternatives to gangbanging. His death was a significant loss to the community, and friends and family mourned his passing by displaying his bike in his memory.
The Durham police launched an investigation into the shooting, but no arrests or suspects have been publicly reported. The community was urged to provide any information they might have to the police or Crime Stoppers. The investigation into Taylor's death remains open, and his legacy as a peace advocate continues to be remembered by those who knew him.
