Emily Argueta Montes de Oca, 22, was shot and killed at the Lakemoor Apartments on Avon Lake Drive in Durham, North Carolina on April 7, 2022. Officers who responded that afternoon found her deceased; a 27-year-old man, Carlos Cortes, was also shot and taken to hospital with serious injuries. Neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots and described a chaotic scene. A nurse who lived nearby assisted Cortes at the scene as he asked repeatedly about his wife, identified as Emily Montes de Oca.

Police say the suspect, 26-year-old Erick Ray Hudson, barricaded himself inside an apartment for nearly eight hours before members of the Durham Police Department’s Selective Enforcement Team entered and arrested him at about 10:30 p.m. Hudson was charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. Reports indicate the three were roommates and investigators do not believe the shooting was random or linked to prior incidents in the area.

The investigation is ongoing and the community has established a memorial fund for Emily’s family. If anyone has information that could help the case, please contact the Durham Police Department.