Candlelight Vigil Honors Brandon Durham, Court Docs Emerge
On Nov. 30, 2024, the Las Vegas community came together to honor the life of Brandon Durham, the Black father who was fatally shot by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Alexander Bookman earlier this month.
Source: Brandon Durham / Instagram
Approximately 50 people attended a candlelight vigil at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue in North Las Vegas to remember Durham and demand accountability.
The vigil, organized by Minister Vance “Stretch” Sanders, featured speeches from community leaders and heartfelt tributes from Durham’s loved ones. Attendees released balloons into the night sky and held a moment of silence in his memory. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Durham’s partner, Rachael Gore, described him as her “everything” and addressed the crowd.
“Officer Bookman’s life was never in danger. If Brandon can be killed, so can you,” said Gore.
Diane Wright, Durham’s sister, spoke about the devastating impact on his 15-year-old daughter, who was home during the incident and heard the fatal shots.
“His life was ripped away while she is down the hall in her room while his life is being taken from him — after calling for help like he is supposed to do, as a good citizen would do,” said Wright.
The NAACP Las Vegas branch president, Quentin Savwoir, urged the public to hold officials accountable and pressure District Attorney Steve Wolfson to charge Officer Bookman with murder.
“Brandon Durham should be alive today,” said Savwoir.
A sad statement that continues to be on repeat for Black men and women who are no longer with us.
A Preventable Tragedy
Brandon Durham, 43, was shot and killed Nov. 12, 2024, after calling 911 to report a home invasion. KNTV reports that according to body camera footage released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Officer Bookman entered Durham’s home and saw him wrestling with the intruder, 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux, over a knife. Despite Durham being the one who called for help, Bookman fired his weapon six times within seconds, fatally wounding him.
Adding to the tragedy, Durham’s teenage daughter was hiding in her bedroom just down the hall. The call for assistance turned into a nightmare for the family and community, who have criticized the officer’s response as hasty and negligent.
KTNV Las Vegas also reports that a neighbor had also called 911 to report someone smashing Durham’s car with bricks shortly before the shooting. These details should have painted a clear picture of the escalating danger Durham faced and his role as the victim in the situation.
New Details Emerge from Court Documents
Recent court filings have shed light on the intruder, Alejandra Boudreaux, and her turbulent past. KTNV Las Vegas reports that Boudreaux, who legally changed her name from Robert Boudreaux-Williams in 2014, has a lengthy criminal history spanning Florida and Washington. Her charges include battery, trespassing, probation violations, and assaulting law enforcement.
Just months before the incident at Durham’s home, Boudreaux was arrested twice in Seattle for violent altercations, including an attempt to attack a bartender and a customer with a bottle of alcohol. She failed to appear in court, leading to an active warrant for her arrest.
Boudreaux now faces four felony charges in Nevada: home invasion while armed, assault constituting domestic violence with a deadly weapon, child abuse, and disregard for personal safety. Judge Amy Wilson set her bail at $1 million, citing the severity of the charges and her criminal record.
Justice for Brandon Durham
The community continues demanding justice. In the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Minister Sanders criticized local politicians for their silence on the case.
“These same politicians visit every Black church in this community to get their vote. But now, they’re quiet,” said Sanders.
Unfortunately, that is a hard truth about U.S. politics.
As crazy and convoluted as this story is, the investigation into Durham’s death continues, and the community—and the nation—awaits answers. This continues to be another example of a Black life cut short by the system.
BOSSIP will continue to update readers on this heartbreaking story as more details emerge.
