On the evening of March 26, 2026, in Thomasville, North Carolina, a domestic dispute escalated into a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 69-year-old Cynthia Duff and left her teenage grandson wounded. The incident unfolded on Tremont Street, where police responded to reports of a shooting and discovered two victims.
Cynthia Duff was found at the scene with a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead. The second victim, identified as 18-year-old Christopher Gardin, had also been shot.
He was transported to a local hospital and was reported to be in stable condition. Gardin is the grandson of both Cynthia Duff and the alleged shooter.
Shortly after the shooting, police located and arrested 71-year-old Clarence Taft Duff, the husband of Cynthia Duff, in his vehicle on National Highway. He was taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and discharging a firearm within the city limits. Clarence Duff is currently being held at the Davidson County Jail without bond as the investigation continues.
