Delaware State Police have confirmed that two men were fatally shot, one by state troopers, outside the Harmony at Kent assisted living facility near Dover on Tuesday night.
The names of the men who died will be released once their families are notified.
Police said they were called to the senior center, located at 1435 E. Lebanon Road (Route 10), at 5:25 p.m. for a trespassing that escalated into a shooting. A 51-year-old man from Camden was visiting a female relative at the facility despite being banned for aggressive behavior in the past, according to police.
A 59-year-old staff member escorted the man and his relative outside, police said, at which point the 51-year-old punched him and ran to his car. The man took a handgun out of the car and fired a shot into a male relative’s vehicle before shooting the staff member, according to police. He and his female relative stayed by the car until state troopers and officers from Probation and Parole, Wyoming Police Department and Dover Police Department arrived.
State police said they tried to negotiate with the man, but he walked away from his car and raised a gun at them. This “prompted” two troopers to fire at him, with at least one striking him.
Both of the men shot were taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave per standard procedure as the Department of Justice conducts a use of force investigation.
Witness recalls shooting
John Needles Jr., who was visiting his mother on the fourth floor of the Harmony at Kent on Tuesday night, said he ran to the window when he heard the sound of gunshots and saw one man standing over another with a gun. He said he then watched as police arrived and began to speak to the man, who was also with an elderly woman using a walker.
The man still had a gun, Needles said, and when he stepped far enough away from the woman, at least one officer shot him.
Needles captured photos of state troopers swarming the scene with guns raised and removing a person with a walker from the scene. They can then be seen performing chest compressions on the injured people as a Camden Wyoming Fire Company ambulance arrives.
Police said they could not confirm or deny whether an officer was involved in the shooting at the time it occurred, only providing confirmation in a Wednesday afternoon news release.
State police are continuing to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. D. Grassi at 302-365-8441 or daniel.grassi@delaware.gov, or call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
INITIAL REPORTING: Shooting in assisted living facility parking lot near Dover leaves at least 1 injured
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on X at @h_edelman.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Officers involved in Dover-area shooting that left 2 dead Tuesday
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
