A 31-year-old Claymont man is behind bars after authorities say he flashed what appeared to be a handgun and threatened to shoot two students outside Claymont Elementary School on Wednesday morning, sending the kids running for help. Staff quickly contacted 9-1-1 and the school constable, and no injuries were reported.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the confrontation unfolded around 9:30 a.m. on April 1. A red Nissan sedan pulled up near the school, and a female passenger walked students into the building while the driver parked on Green Street. Investigators say the masked driver then approached two students, showed what they believed was a handgun, and threatened to shoot them before taking off. Detectives later identified the driver as 31-year-old Anthony Dejesus, who, per police, is barred from having firearms because of a prior misdemeanor domestic-violence conviction.
Delaware State Police said school staff also approached the vehicle and briefly spoke with the driver before he left the area. A student who saw the encounter ran to alert adults, and investigators began interviewing witnesses around the school shortly after.
Charges and legal implications
In their official release, Delaware State Police said Dejesus faces a long list of charges: possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony; two counts of carrying a concealed deadly weapon; possession of a firearm by a person prohibited due to a prior misdemeanor domestic-violence conviction; two counts of aggravated menacing; two counts of terroristic threatening; and wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony. He was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $41,000 cash bond.
Federal law also restricts gun ownership for people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, a prohibition outlined in Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute's publication of 18 U.S.C. § 922.
Neighborhood context
The scare has revived long-standing concerns about safety around Claymont Elementary. Local reporting has previously noted that Delaware State Police investigated shots fired near the school on July 27, 2025, a separate late-night case with no reported injuries. That earlier incident, combined with Wednesday’s threat, has neighbors paying close attention to updates from law enforcement and school district officials.
The investigation into the latest case is still active, and authorities have not released additional public details. Dejesus is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and his case is slated to move forward in Justice of the Peace Court 2.
