Romeo Kevante Pride, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, North Carolina 2022

A Durham man, Romeo Kevante Pride, was sentenced to 110 months in prison for a 2021 Black Friday shooting at The Streets at Southpoint Mall in Durham, North Carolina.

On November 26, 2021, a date colloquially known as "Black Friday," Pride, a convicted felon, went to the mall armed with a loaded .40 caliber Glock handgun. In the course of a botched attempted robbery of another mall patron, both Pride and the patron discharged handguns.

Durham Police Department officers recovered a spent .40 caliber shell casing fired from Pride handgun and surveillance video from the mall confirmed the events. Pride and two innocent bystanders were shot during the exchange of gunfire.

Pride was sentenced to a 110-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition to prison time, Pride was ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release and to pay a special assessment of $100.00.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force with assistance from the Durham Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney JoAnna G. McFadden.

A conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that aims to reduce violent crime by working with law enforcement and community organizations to prevent and respond to gun violence.

The Streets at Southpoint Mall has a history of gun violence, with multiple incidents reported in recent years. The mall has implemented various security measures to prevent future incidents, including the installation of metal detectors and increased security personnel.