Halloween night shooting leaves 6 injured near University of Delaware
Halloween night shooting leaves 6 injured near University of Delaware
Esteban Parra and William Bretzger, Delaware News JournalSun, November 1, 2026 at 2:24 PM UTC
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A shooting that injured six people in downtown Newark, Delaware, closed roads late Halloween night and into the following morning as celebrations were in full swing in the college town.
The shooting occurred near East Main Street and Choate Street at 11:13 p.m. Oct. 31, according to Newark police. In a news release issued about 3:15 a.m., police said six people had been shot.
"The shooting occurred on the south sidewalk of East Main Street, directly across from Choate Street," the early morning police statement said. "Six victims were shot during the incident. All six victims were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment."
Police did not provide the victims' medical conditions.
Police, in an earlier news release, said that there "does not appear to be an ongoing threat to public safety."
East Main Street has reopened after being closed for about five hours, police said.
Main Street was closed from Library Avenue to Academy Street while officers were investigating, though police slowly started opening portions of the road. Drivers and pedestrians were asked to avoid the area, as the shooting left traffic gridlocked while police and emergency personnel were responding.
Videos posted to social media showed a chaotic downtown with people frantically running away, down the sidewalk and into the road. Emergency radio broadcasts reflected a huge police and EMS response at the scene, including the response of Delaware State Police helicopter Trooper 4.
This is the first shooting in Newark this year, according to a database maintained by Delaware Online/The News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Police said they would be releasing more information as the investigation continues.
The University of Delaware released a statement alerting students to the shooting and reiterated information shared by Newark police. The university also directed students who live in the area and need assistance getting home to call UDPD at (302) 831-2222.
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Shooting aftermath in downtown Newark
Main Street was quiet about 1:45 a.m. in downtown Newark, shortly before daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. local time, when clocks turned back one hour to 1 a.m.
Yellow police tape blocked access to Main Street, while officers kept students and others from walking through. Access was severely restricted to people walking nearby and to drivers attempting to navigate the area and deliver food.
A woman whose car was behind the police tape was told to "come back tomorrow" by a nearby officer. Other students could be seen asking police about what happened.
Newark's "Mobile Command" unit was also set up in the parking lot behind Cameras Etc.
Debris could be seen near the parking lot entrance between Cameras Etc. and Mango Mango. Two police officers were inside Head Quarters Smoke Shop, two doors down from Mango Mango and across the street from Klondike Kate's.
Shooting did not happen at Klondike Kate's, says restaurant
Klondike Kate's, a popular downtown restaurant and bar, posted to its Facebook account early Sunday morning, clarifying that the shooting did not happen there or on its property.
"We are aware of the unfortunate incident that occurred across the street from Klondike Kate’s this evening and understand the concern and rumors circulating on social media," the business wrote on Facebook. "We want to clarify that the incident did not occur inside Klondike Kate’s or on our property. The safety of our guests, employees, and the Newark community has always been, and will continue to be, our highest priority.
"We ask everyone to avoid spreading unverified information and to allow local law enforcement to conduct their investigation. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by tonight’s incident, and we thank the Newark Police Department and first responders for their efforts."
Halloween celebrations were in full swing downtown Saturday night. A video posted by the bar showed crowds of people in costumes wrapped around the building waiting to get in earlier in the evening.
This is a breaking news story and will be as more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Halloween night shooting leaves 6 injured near University of Delaware
Source: “AOL Breaking”
