Abdur Rasheed Muslim

Abdur Rasheed Ali Muslim II was a 26-year-old Black man known to friends and family as a loving husband and a father to two children. Remembered as outgoing, positive, humble, and caring, he was the owner of an ice cream truck and had attended Hillside High School in his hometown of Durham, North Carolina. His life was cut short in a burst of violence on a busy city street in the spring of 2014.

The evening of Tuesday, May 13, 2014, was just beginning when tragedy struck. Shortly before 6 p.m., Muslim was involved in an argument with another man in the 900 block of East Main Street, near the intersection with Alston Avenue. According to Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez, the two men appeared to know each other, and the dispute escalated until the other man shot Muslim. After being wounded, Muslim got into his Nissan Altima and tried to drive away from the scene. He did not get far. His car struck a light pole before crashing at a gas station.

The area was crowded at that time of day, and several people witnessed the aftermath. Johnny Nyberg was walking out of the nearby Durham Rescue Mission when he heard two or three gunshots. He then saw Muslim's car hit the pole and crash. Nyberg rushed to the vehicle and saw a bullet wound in Muslim's back. The driver's side door was locked, so he went around to the passenger side, opened the door, and found Muslim struggling to breathe. Soon after, his breathing stopped entirely. Nyberg checked for a pulse but could not find one.

Nyberg and a nurse who was also at the scene pulled Muslim from the car and began performing CPR, continuing their efforts until paramedics arrived. Despite their intervention and the response from emergency services, Abdur Rasheed Ali Muslim II was pronounced dead at the scene from the gunshot wound.

The Durham Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation. Investigators stated that they did not believe the shooting was a random act of violence. Police Chief Lopez emphasized how many people were likely in the area at the time of the shooting and pleaded with the public to come forward. “At this point, we know there are a lot of people who've seen what went on,” he said. “This street is generally full, and we're hoping people come forward with what they saw.”

Detectives worked to piece together Muslim's movements on the afternoon of his death and urged anyone with information to contact them. Investigator J. Barr was assigned to the case. No suspect information was immediately released to the public, and in the years since, no arrests have been announced. Muslim was one of 23 homicide victims in Durham in 2014.

The case remains unsolved, a painful open wound for a family and community that lost a beloved father, husband, and friend. Authorities continue to ask for the public's help in bringing closure to Muslim's loved ones. A cash reward is available through Crime Stoppers for information that leads to an arrest in the case. Callers can remain anonymous. Anyone with information is asked to call the Durham Police Department at (919) 560-4440 or CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200.