{"id":723,"date":"2026-05-22T05:05:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T05:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=723"},"modified":"2026-05-22T05:05:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T05:05:18","slug":"durham-woman-killed-this-week-was-anti-gun-activist-community-mentor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=723","title":{"rendered":"Durham woman killed this week was anti-gun activist, community mentor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/abc11.com\/post\/durham-deadly-shooting-nc-woman-dies-police-found-gunshot-apartment-complex\/19123631\/\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\"><i>ABC11 is The News &amp; Observer\u2019s newsgathering partner.<\/i><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>A woman who was fatally shot early Monday morning was involved in the community as a mentor and anti-gun activist, her family says.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=721\">Legendary NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, 41, dies after \u2018severe illness.\u2019 What we know<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Durham police responding to a shooting call just before 2 a.m. on Rochelle Street found a woman who had been shot. She was pronounced dead after EMS took her to the hospital.<\/p>\n<p>The family identified the woman to ABC11 as Michelle Kenan. Police later confirmed her identity as Linda Michelle Kenan, 51, of Durham.<\/p>\n<p>Family members say she was heavily involved in her community as an advocate and mentor. She also had recently celebrated her birthday, they said.<\/p>\n<p>The family released the following statement to ABC11, saying in part:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are losing the foundation of the Black community \u2014 the Black mother. The women who raise, nurture, protect, lead, and hold families together are being taken from us far too soon. Michelle\u2019s life mattered. Her love mattered. Her work mattered. Her presence in this community mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.5kfoundation.org\/\" rel=\"Follow\" target=\"_blank\">5K Foundation Inc.<\/a>, where Kenan worked, is operated by her family. She had created a major initiative against gun violence called \u201cPlay Games, Not Guns,\u201d the family says.<\/p>\n<p>Family members who spoke to ABC11 said they\u2019re heartbroken that she spent so much time trying to stop gun violence only to lose her life to it.<\/p>\n<p>People who call Durham\u2019s Rochelle Manor community home say they are devastated after Kenan was shot and killed inside her home early Monday morning.<\/p>\n<p>Neighbors describe Kenan as a mother, community advocate and someone who worked to help stop gun violence in the area.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was a good lady,\u201d said resident D\u2019juan Mitchell. \u201cShe served the community. She fed the kids. She helped feed people who lived here. If you needed something to eat, she was there. Just a nice lady all around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some neighbors say the violence in the community has become overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople need to understand that Rochelle (Manor) is not like it used to be,\u201d one resident, who asked not to be identified, told ABC11.<\/p>\n<p>The deadly shooting comes just days after another violent incident in the same community. Durham police aid slast week someone fired shots from a car toward three children walking home in Rochelle Manor. No injuries were reported in that incident.<\/p>\n<p>Residents say the latest shooting has left many feeling unsafe in their own homes.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=719\">Kyle Busch NASCAR timeline: 234 wins, two titles and decades of drama<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re supposed to feel safe in your house,\u201d said Mitchell. \u201cBut if you can\u2019t feel safe in your house, where can you feel safe?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some neighbors tell ABC11 her death was the final straw and they are now planning to move out of the community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m working on getting out,\u201d a resident told ABC11. \u201cI\u2019ve got to go. This is too much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Durham police are still investigating the shooting.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone with any information is asked to call Corporal J. Justice at 919-560-4440 x29119 or call CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrests in felony cases, and callers never have to identify themselves.<\/p>\n<p><b>Statement from Chris &amp; Tangela Kenan with 5K Foundation Inc., on Michelle Kenan:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201c5K Foundation, Inc. is heartbroken by the senseless killing of our beloved family member, community ambassador, and supporter, Michelle Kenan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMichelle was more than family \u2014 she was a mother, sister, aunt, friend, and a true servant of the community. She stood beside us in our mission to organize, promote, and support programs designed to fight against gang and gun violence in communities like Rochelle Manor and throughout Durham. She believed in the work. She believed in our youth. She believed in protecting families and creating safer spaces for our children to grow, play, and live.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo lose Michelle to the very violence we work every day to prevent is devastating beyond words. This was a senseless crime that took the life of a woman deeply loved by so many. It has left another child without a mother, another family grieving, and another community forced to carry the weight of preventable violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis has to stop.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are losing the foundation of the Black community \u2014 the Black mother. The women who raise, nurture, protect, lead, and hold families together are being taken from us far too soon. Michelle\u2019s life mattered. Her love mattered. Her work mattered. Her presence in this community mattered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we grieve, we also recommit ourselves to the mission Michelle supported: creating safe, positive, and meaningful opportunities for our youth and standing against the violence that continues to tear families apart.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe ask the community to keep Michelle\u2019s family, friends, and loved ones in prayer during this unimaginable time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRest in power, Michelle Kenan. Your love, your service, and your impact will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=717\">UNC System president\u2019s bonus is the biggest since he started the job in 2020<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Durham\u2019s community mourns Michelle Kenan, a mentor and anti-gun activist shot dead in her Rochelle Manor home; police seek tips to help solve the case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Durham woman killed this week was anti-gun activist, community mentor - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=723\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Durham woman killed this week was anti-gun activist, community mentor - 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