Danny Joe Harris, a 17-year-old African American male, was tragically shot and killed on July 20, 2014, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 9:22 p.m. in the area of Bloomfield Drive and Junia Avenue, near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Harris was found shot to death inside a house at 2051 Bloomfield Drive. Alongside Harris, two women, Jenisha Shattiera Crawford, 26, and Brittany Shardiney Robinson, 24, were also injured in the shooting.
Crawford sustained serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital, while Robinson sustained minor injuries.
The investigation revealed that the shooting stemmed from a dispute. Two men, William Darnell Ruth III, 24, of Winston-Salem, and Larry Kennard Cloud Jr., 27, of Kernersville, were charged in connection with the shooting. Initially, both men were charged with assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill inflicting serious injury. However, the charges against Ruth were later increased to second-degree murder for the death of Danny Joe Harris. Ruth was held at the Forsyth County Detention Center with no bond.
The case garnered significant attention in the community, and the investigation remained ongoing. The police urged anyone with information to come forward and assist in the investigation. The tragic death of Danny Joe Harris highlighted the impact of gun violence and the need for continued efforts to address such incidents in the community.
