2nd suspect sought in Durham killing of Morrisville soccer standout, police say

DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Police in Durham say they are seeking a second suspect in the deadly afternoon shooting of a Morrisville soccer standout last month.

Read more Trump says his planned arch would become a ‘military complex’ able to host drones and snipers

Jamari Sharpe, 21, of Morrisville, who played soccer since he was 7 years old and competed on the Panther Creek High School varsity team, was shot and later died August 6 in the 2500 block of Ross Road near Junction Road, police and his family said.

A shooting was reported moments earlier along the 300 block of Melbourne Street near Ross Road, according to the Durham Police Department.

Rafael Amir McClain, 22, of Melbourne Street, was arrested and charged with murder two weeks after Sharpe’s death, officers said.

Last week, Durham police said they were seeking Desmond Strudwick, 21, of Durham. Officers released his photo on Wednesday and said that Strudwick was a suspect in the murder.

Read more Russia wraps up first wartime parliamentary election with Kremlin dominance all but assured

Since his death, Sharpe’s family has reached out to the public to keep his memory alive.

A close relative said Sharpe, a Raleigh native, was “so much more than the circumstances surrounding his death.”

Sharpe was a 2023 graduate of Panther Creek High School in Cary, where he was a varsity soccer player in the fullback position, according to Maxpreps.

Sharpe also played club soccer with NFC for nearly 10 years, starting at the recreational level with the Town of Morrisville at the age of 7 and joining CASL (now NCFC) by age 9, and played until he graduated high school.

Read more UNC lets winnable Clemson game slip away, falls to Tigers 28-20 after lightning delay