1 dead, 3 injured in 2 separate Wilmington shootings

WILMINGTON One man is dead and three others are injured in what city police are calling two separate – and as of now, unrelated – shootings late Wednesday afternoon.

A Uniform Service Division officer alerted police to shots fired at about 4:06 p.m. in the area of West Fourth and North Monroe streets, Sgt. Andrea Janvier said. While responding, they found a 53-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the abdomen in the 300 block of N. Monroe St., she said.

The man was treated by New Castle County Paramedics and transported to Christiana Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, she said.

North Monroe Street was closed on both sides of West Fourth Street with yellow police tape shortly after the shooting was reported.

Fifteen minutes later, additional calls for shots fired in the area of Fourth and Monroe streets were received, Janvier said. At the same time, police received calls for shots fired in the area of West Third and North Lincoln streets blocks away.

Officers first arriving on scene found a 61-year-old man who was shot in the upper leg. He was treated by county paramedics and transported to Christiana, Janvier said, adding that he was considered stable.

As officers continued to investigate, a 24-year-old man arrived at St. Francis Emergency Room with a gunshot wound to his upper leg, she said. He is described in good condition.

Another 24-year-old male then arrived at Christiana several minutes later, also with a gunshot wound to his upper leg, Janvier said. He's considered in stable condition.

The three men injured, but not killed, in the shootings are believed to have been shot in the area of West Third Street, Janvier said. The investigation is still in its preliminary stages and will continue.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Don Palmatary at (302) 576-3654 or Detective Pete Leccia at (302) 576-3647.

A bystander near the first shooting, who declined to give his name, said the gunfire started near West Third Street and moved up Monroe Street. He said he and his friends were seated outside a nearby home and had to duck when they heard the shots.

Police arrived moments later, checking to see if anybody had been hit by the bullets. He and his friends were unscathed.

But he's not surprised it happened.

"This right here is the ghetto," he said – shootings and violence are not uncommon. Wednesday's first incident marks the 22nd shooting within a three-block radius of West Fourth and North Monroe streets over the last year. Of those, seven shootings have been fatal.

Nearby residents are shaken up, calling for better police protection on the city's streets. Many say officers aren't where they need to be when the violence begins. So far this year, there have been 115 victims of gun violence across the city with 22 people killed.

Those who live near the Adams Four Shopping Center say the city is under attack and that the gun violence must stop. Many lingered on the street corners almost an hour after the shooting, swapping stories about what happened. Tens of police cars, officers and detectives worked the two blocks long after the shooting.

A Crime Scene Investigation truck also arrived on scene. More than 20 yellow cones marked where bullet casings were found in the 400 block on North Monroe Street. Members of the crime scene unit recorded what they found and took notes.

Slightly more than year ago, three brothers were injured in a shooting on the same block. In that specific incident, two men pushed their way into a home on the 400 block of N. Monroe St., demanding money from the three brothers.

When they refused, the two men shot them, wounding the 20-year-old in the leg, the 24-year-old in the arm and back and the 26-year-old in the shoulder.

All three were treated and in stable condition.

But within an hour of Wednesday's shooting, many residents were back on their front porches and steps, listening to music and playing cards. As many local residents say, it's just another day in Wilmington.

Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.