A gunman entered a Delaware Department of Motor Vehicles office near Wilmington on Tuesday, shot a state trooper twice, and was subsequently killed by police.
Incident Details
The 44-year-old gunman walked into the office, approached the trooper who was working an overtime assignment at the reception desk, and fired. The trooper was wounded, pushed a nearby employee to safety, and was shot again, killing him. Both the trooper and the gunman were transported to a hospital where they died.
Response
A police officer confronted the gunman, shot him, and killed him. The threat was over before 3 p.m. A woman and a second state trooper sustained minor injuries that were not from gunshots.
Quotes
Col. William D. Crotty of the state police said at the news conference:
“We lost a brother, a son, a best friend, a coach, a husband and a father. His last actions were that of a hero, a hero who saved lives today while sacrificing his own.”
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer added:
“What happened today was an act of pure evil, and if not for the heroism of several troopers and other officers, the consequences could have been so much worse.”
Aftermath
The state DMV announced that it has closed its offices statewide.
Key Takeaways
- A state trooper was killed after being shot twice.
- The gunman was also killed by police.
- All DMV offices were closed statewide.
- Minor injuries were reported but were not gunshot wounds.
The incident underscored the bravery of law-enforcement officers and prompted a statewide shutdown of DMV services.
