A Delaware state trooper was killed when a gunman opened fire at the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) facility in New Castle County — located on Hessler Boulevard not far from Wilmington — on Tuesday.
According to the Delaware State Police, a 44-year-old man entered the facility as a customer and approached the state trooper, who was working an overtime assignment at the reception desk. The man then produced a firearm and shot the trooper.
Despite being wounded, the trooper pushed a nearby DMV employee out of harm’s way before being shot a second time, police said. Responding officers, including a New Castle County police officer, quickly engaged the suspect, who was fatally shot in the exchange.
The state trooper ultimately succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack, becoming the lone fatality. One victim, a 40-year-old woman, was transported to a local hospital for non-gunshot-related injuries, a 35-year-old woman was evaluated for shortness of breath but declined transport, and a second state trooper sustained minor non-gunshot injuries that did not require hospitalization.
The scene was secured quickly, with no ongoing threat to the public. The Delaware State Police, along with local law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecutors from the Delaware Department of Justice, were observed on the scene following the attack.
“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,” Delaware Governor Matt Meyer said in a statement. “The heart of the state of Delaware breaks tonight,” he added, further describing the trooper as “a hero who gave his life in the line of duty.”
In response, all Delaware DMV locations were closed statewide. The Hessler Boulevard facility remained closed indefinitely, while others were set to reopen on Monday, December 29, 2025, with New Castle County residents directed to the Delaware City location.The motive remains undisclosed, and the suspect’s identity has not been released. Investigations continue with support from state and federal agencies.
The deceased trooper has not been identified as of Wednesday morning. “We lost a brother, a son, a best friend, a coach, a husband and a father,” adding that the trooper’s “last actions were that of a hero. A hero who saved lives today while sacrificing his own,” said Delaware State Police Superintendent Colonel William Crotty.
The killing marks the first line-of-duty death for a Delaware State Trooper since 2017. Flags were ordered lowered statewide in honor of the fallen officer.
