A man whose brush with a speeding car outside a Dover restaurant turned into gunfire is still on the loose, and Delaware State Police are circulating a surveillance photo as they try to track him down. The shooting happened around 2:40 a.m. Saturday in a restaurant parking lot in the 4000 block of South DuPont Highway, after a vehicle passed the man at a high rate of speed and nearly hit him, according to authorities. He then pulled a handgun and fired multiple rounds at the car before running from the scene.
No one was hurt and no property damage was reported, according to Shore News Network. Troopers responded to the parking lot after reports of gunfire, and the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit has since taken over the case. Detectives recovered multiple spent shell casings from the scene but have not disclosed how many shots were fired, nor whether anyone besides the driver was in the vehicle.
Suspect Description and Active Search
Investigators described the suspect as a Black male with dreadlocks, last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt over a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Police have not released his name or announced an arrest, and it remains unclear whether he and the driver knew each other or whether the near-collision was a random encounter. The vehicle involved has also not been identified, and police have not said whether its driver has been located.
On October 11, the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit issued an official Attempt to Identify bulletin, releasing a flyer with a surveillance photo of the suspect. Detectives are asking witnesses or anyone with information to contact Detective I. Hitchens at 302-698-8503, submit tips through the Delaware State Police Facebook page, or call Delaware Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-847-3333.
A Chaotic Weekend Across Kent County
The shooting unfolded during an already strained weekend for law enforcement in the Dover area. Later on October 10, more than 50 officers from Dover, New Castle County, Wilmington, Smyrna, Camden, and the Delaware State Police were deployed across the city to manage large crowds and disturbances tied to Delaware State University's homecoming events.
Hours later, 22-year-old Nasir Cox was shot at approximately 9:19 p.m. in the Dover Commons shopping center parking lot along North DuPont Highway and later died from his injuries, as Hoodline previously reported.
State Police Lead the Case
Delaware State Police are leading the investigation, with the Criminal Investigations Unit handling the case.
The parking lot shooting adds to a troubling pattern of gunfire at Dover-area restaurants and commercial strips this fall. On September 4, 18-year-old Foster Trader was fatally shot on the sidewalk outside a CAVA restaurant on North DuPont Highway, a case Hoodline covered in a piece headlined Dover CAVA Shooting Kills 18-Year-Old Foster Trader. Kent County recorded 57 shooting incidents in 2025, far fewer than New Castle County's 185 but still a significant toll for the smaller county, according to statistics compiled by public safety organizations.
Potential Charges if Suspect Is Found
If identified and arrested, the gunman could face Reckless Endangering in the First Degree, a Class E felony under Delaware Code Title 11, Section 604, for recklessly creating a substantial risk of death by discharging a firearm at a vehicle. He could also face a charge of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, a Class B felony under Section 1447A that carries a mandatory, non-suspendable minimum of three years in state prison upon conviction.
The investigation remains open, and anyone with information is urged to come forward. The Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit also maintains a 24-hour toll-free hotline, 1-800-VICTIM-1, offering confidential support and crisis intervention for crime victims and witnesses statewide.
