RALEIGH, N.C. — The city of Raleigh is reeling after 26-year-old Darieen Marquise Hewett died following a violent workplace shooting Tuesday afternoon, authorities confirmed. What began as a standard shift at a traffic-control business turned into a tragedy that has shaken coworkers, neighbors and the broader community.
It happened just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, when officers with the Raleigh Police Department responded to a call at a building on the 6500-block of Mount Herman Road — home to Onward Safety Solutions, a firm that provides traffic-control services for construction zones.
Inside the business, they found Hewett suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his wounds later that evening.
Investigators say the shooting was carried out by a coworker. Witnesses reportedly told police that the two men had been arguing inside the office — an argument that escalated once they stepped outside. It was then that the suspect allegedly opened fire.
By Wednesday morning, Raleigh police announced they had arrested 26-year-old Damouri Jontae Woods in connection with the shooting. He has been charged with murder and is expected to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.
The sudden loss of Hewett has hit coworkers and neighbors hard. Employees at Onward Safety Solutions said they were in shock, describing both victim and suspect as people they knew from work — a reminder, as one put it, that “we never imagined this could happen here.”
Local residents, too, spoke of being rattled. Mount Herman Road is normally quiet; Tuesday night, however, it was filled with police activity as detectives gathered evidence — forensic teams combed the scene inside and outside the business late into the evening.
As the investigation continues, police are urging anyone with information — no matter how small — to come forward. Detectives say even a detail that seems insignificant could be vital to understanding how a routine workday turned deadly.
For friends, family and coworkers of Darieen Hewett, the days ahead promise to be painful. While an arrest offers a step toward accountability, it cannot undo the heartbreak of losing a young life — a man with hopes, promise and everyday plans, gone too soon.
