NEWARK, Del. — Gunfire erupted on a packed stretch of East Main Street late Halloween night, wounding six people in the heart of the University of Delaware’s bar district and sending hundreds of costumed students and families fleeing in panic. The shooting occurred at approximately 11:13 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2026, on the south sidewalk directly across from Choate Street, near Klondike Kate’s restaurant, according to Newark police.
Authorities said all six victims were transported to local hospitals, including ChristianaCare Newark Campus. Police have not released their identities, ages, or conditions. Witness accounts circulating in local reports described several of the injured as appearing to be teenagers around 15 or 16 years old, though officials have not confirmed that detail. One bystander, Landen Singleton, told reporters he rushed toward the victims, removed his own shirt, folded it, and pressed it against a young man’s stomach wound while holding the victim’s hand until help arrived. Singleton later described seeing people shot in the leg, back, and stomach and said the scene left him unable to sleep.
Videos posted online captured the immediate aftermath: crowds sprinting down the street amid flashing police lights, traffic gridlock, and people lying on the pavement near illuminated storefronts. One dashcam-style clip filmed from inside a car rolling through the area shortly after the shots showed the lit businesses, including a smoke shop, and figures down on the sidewalk. At least one person was reportedly struck by a vehicle while fleeing but was able to walk away. The street, normally bustling with Halloween revelers heading to bars and restaurants, emptied in seconds as police lights flooded the scene.
Newark police, assisted by University of Delaware officers, Delaware State Police, and other agencies, responded with multiple ambulances from Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder, Christiana Fire Company, the university’s emergency care unit, and New Castle County paramedics. Main Street was shut down for roughly five hours—from areas including Library Avenue through Academy Street or South Chapel to Haines Street, depending on the exact closure reports—while investigators processed the scene, examined debris, and used a drone. Officers searched the sidewalk between businesses such as Cameras Etc. and Mango Mango. By early Sunday morning, the street had reopened, and police stated there did not appear to be an ongoing threat to public safety.
As of Nov. 1, no suspect has been named or arrested. The investigation remains active, with detectives working to determine the circumstances and how many people may have been involved in the gunfire. Police are urging anyone with photos, video, or information to submit footage through the department’s Evidence Link portal and to contact Detective Paige Klein at (302) 366-7100 ext. 3480 or pklein@newark.de.us.
University of Delaware President Laura Carlson issued statements to the campus community expressing gratitude for the rapid response of Newark police, UD officers, and first responders who provided life-saving care on scene. The university sent emergency alerts advising students to avoid the area and offered resources for those affected. Carlson also addressed circulating social media commentary, stating there is no place for racist or stereotyped comments. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer condemned the “senseless acts of violence,” noting a separate Halloween night shooting in Ellendale, and said state police were assisting the Newark investigation. He emphasized that “every Delawarean deserves to feel safe in their community” and that such violence should never be accepted as normal.
According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, as reported by local outlets including Spotlight Delaware and WDEL, the incident qualifies as a mass shooting (defined as four or more people injured, excluding the shooter) and represents the largest number of victims in a single Delaware event in the past seven years. It is the first shooting recorded in Newark this year per a Delaware Online/News Journal database and the 31st mass shooting in the state since 2013.
The shooting has left the college town reeling, with residents and students questioning how a firearm entered a dense crowd of families and young people celebrating the holiday. Police continue to process evidence and review submitted videos as they seek to identify those responsible. Anyone with information is asked to come forward immediately.
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