A popular Durham man is dead after a drive-by shooting on Hillsborough Road, as social media users accuse a woman close to Irease Jeffrey of setting him up.
DURHAM, N.C. — Irease Jeffrey, a well-known man in the Durham community, was killed in a drive-by shooting Sunday night on Hillsborough Road, and social media users are now alleging he may have been set up by a woman.
Durham police said the shooting occurred around 9:05 p.m. in the 3500 block of Hillsborough Road, directly in front of a Wendy’s restaurant.
According to a police press release, 30-year-old Irease Jeffrey of Durham was driving a 2024 Chevy Malibu westbound on Hillsborough Road when another vehicle pulled up alongside him on the passenger side, where a female passenger was seated.
Investigators say someone inside the second vehicle opened fire, striking Jeffrey. The woman riding with him was also hit by gunfire and rushed to the hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries, police confirmed. Jeffrey was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died, police said.
After being shot, Jeffrey lost control of the vehicle, which came to rest in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant.
Officers canvassing the scene found at least seven shell casings scattered across Hillsborough Road.
Family members told local reporters that Irease Jeffrey shares a child with the woman injured in the shooting. Police have not publicly identified her.
Social Media Claims Irease Jeffrey Was Set Up
While police have not confirmed a motive, multiple Facebook users are accusing an unidentified woman of allegedly playing a role in Irease Jeffrey’s death, claiming she had been publicly posting his location for months.
In a post shared Monday, a user named “Marko Bailey” made explosive accusations:
“B**** do all that hollering about how she wish a n**** would die, this and that! Air out ALL the n**** business, you heard me! Then the n**** die for real and now the h* so sorry and sad and back pushing his name. Whole time the h* was giving the drop, trying to get the n**** knocked off, throwing the n**** in the cross anyway. B****es be overly burnt out, man! It’s spooky out here.”
Another Facebook user, “Jontae Cannady,” also suggested long-term encouragement of violence:
“Why y’all kill him is crazy, after you told them to kill him for six months straight.”
A third user, “Michael Goldston,” issued a warning:
“Never trust a girl that go live dropping your location or telling people where to find you. Treat her like your opp! She is nothing to you, fam! Protect your life by all means! I’d rather be in a box at a jail or prison than the box at the graveyard!!”
Friend Says She Got ‘Set-Up Vibes’
Another Facebook user, “Cali Cali,” shared a lengthy status saying she believed Irease Jeffrey was set up and referred to the woman involved as a “snake.”
“All the stuff he told me and all the stuff she said and did—it’s really giving set-up vibes. She wanted him dead so bad,” she wrote.
She said she and Jeffrey were close and trusted each other deeply:
“Irease tells me everything, and I mean everything—there’s nothing I don’t know about.”
Cali Cali questioned paternity claims circulating online:
“And if that’s his son, why would you set him up like everyone keeps saying?”
She continued:
“But is it his son? Like, give him that closure, shawty. I held my silence for too long. Steady posting stuff trying to bash him on his own page, but now you love him?”
She ended her post with a direct accusation:
“Because I just know this your fault! B****, tell the truth! You was mad about me and him and all that stuff that’s been going on. You set him up!”
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
As of now, no suspects are in custody, and Durham police have not confirmed whether Irease Jeffrey’s killing was targeted or connected to any of the claims circulating online.
The investigation remains ongoing.
