Authorities said the trooper pushed an employee to safety after being shot.
WILMINGTON, DE — A Delaware State Police trooper was killed Tuesday after a gunman opened fire inside a state motor vehicle office near Wilmington, authorities said. The suspected shooter, a 44-year-old man, was also killed after a responding officer confronted him in the building.
The shooting, reported shortly after 2 p.m. at a Division of Motor Vehicles facility in New Castle County, shut down a busy public service center and prompted the DMV to close offices statewide. State police leaders and elected officials condemned the attack and praised the trooper’s actions, saying he helped protect others in the moments after he was hit. Investigators said the incident ended within about an hour, but key details, including the identities of the trooper and the gunman and a motive, were not released as officials worked to notify families and gather evidence.
State police said the gunman entered the DMV as a customer and walked toward the reception area, where the trooper was assigned on overtime duty. The man approached the trooper at the front desk and fired, authorities said. Even after the initial shot, the trooper remained alert enough to shove a nearby DMV employee out of the line of fire, officials said. The gunman then shot the trooper again, and the trooper collapsed, police said. “His last actions were that of a hero,” Delaware State Police Col. William D. Crotty said during a Tuesday evening briefing, describing the trooper as a family man and a steady presence for co-workers and the community.
A New Castle County police officer arrived during the active threat and confronted the gunman inside the facility, authorities said. The officer shot the man, ending the attack, according to police. Both the trooper and the gunman were taken to a hospital, where they later died, officials said. State police said a second trooper and a woman suffered minor injuries that were not caused by gunfire. Investigators did not immediately describe those injuries, but said they were considered minor. Officials said the threat was over before 3 p.m., and the building was secured as detectives and crime scene technicians began documenting evidence.
The shooting unfolded at a DMV site on Hessler Boulevard in the Minquadale area of New Castle County, a corridor of offices and commercial buildings a short drive from Wilmington. Police said troopers are commonly posted at DMV locations, particularly at busier service centers, and the slain trooper was working an extra shift at the check-in desk when the gunman approached. Authorities did not say whether the gunman had any prior contact with the trooper, whether he spoke to anyone inside the building before firing, or whether he targeted any specific person beyond the trooper. Officials also did not release information Tuesday night about the weapon, how many shots were fired, or whether surveillance video captured the encounter.
Gov. Matt Meyer called the shooting “an act of pure evil” and said the outcome could have been far worse without the response by troopers and other officers who moved quickly to stop the gunman. In a separate statement issued later Tuesday, the governor, First Lady Lauren Meyer, Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay and Second Gentleman Olin Gay said the state was mourning the trooper’s death and recognized the risk law enforcement officers face when responding to violence. State police said the trooper’s name would be released after relatives were notified, and officials asked for privacy for the family and for the trooper’s colleagues as the agency prepared honors and funeral arrangements.
Investigators said the case will be handled as a full criminal investigation and a line-of-duty death, with multiple agencies involved in evidence collection and review. Police said detectives will interview DMV employees, customers who were inside the building, and officers who responded to piece together a minute-by-minute timeline. Authorities are expected to examine the gunman’s background, recent contacts and movements, and any records that could shed light on a motive. Autopsies and forensic testing are also expected to be part of the process, including ballistics work to match recovered ammunition to firearms and to confirm the sequence of shots. Officials did not say when those results might be available.
The shooting also triggered an operational response from state agencies. The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles said it closed offices statewide after the incident, affecting appointments and walk-in services for licensing and vehicle-related transactions. Officials did not give a firm date for reopening all sites, but said updates would be provided as law enforcement completed on-scene work and as the state assessed security needs. Police said the DMV location where the shooting occurred would remain part of an active investigation while evidence was processed, and they cautioned that some services could be disrupted beyond the initial closure depending on investigative and safety requirements.
Outside the facility, the aftermath played out in a mixture of silence and flashing lights as police secured the area and medical teams moved the wounded. Later, as the trooper’s body was transferred from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office, law enforcement officers lined up in a solemn procession, some saluting as the vehicle passed. By Wednesday morning, flowers and small tributes began appearing near the DMV site, and residents spoke quietly about the shock of violence at a place people associate with routine errands. “It’s painful,” one woman who said her son serves with the Delaware State Police told local reporters as she stopped to pay respects. “You know that they’ll give up their life and that’s what they do.”
As of Wednesday, authorities said the trooper’s name and additional investigative details were still pending, with the focus on family notifications, evidence processing and witness interviews. Officials said they expect to provide further updates after those steps are complete and as the agencies involved coordinate next moves, including any release of the gunman’s identity and a clearer account of what led up to the shooting.
Author note: Last updated December 24, 2025.