DOVER, Del. (NewsNation Now) — Authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred at an illegal gathering of hundreds of college students at a Delaware park.
Dover Police said a 20-year-old Delaware State University student was killed and a 22-year-old man was wounded when gunfire erupted shortly after 9:30 p.m. Sunday at Schutte Park.
Investigators said Devin Wright was shot in the head and died at a local hospital. The second victim was struck in his shoulder and hand.
Police said the victims were attending a party that drew between 300 and 500 people to the park when a shootout involving several people erupted.
Police department spokesman Master Corporal Mark Hoffman said the park was closed to the public at the time and no permits or reservations for the gathering had been issued. Also, under a coronavirus state of emergency declared by Gov. John Carney, gatherings of more than 250 people are prohibited unless the host receives written authorization from public health officials.
Sunday’s shooting comes three weeks after a similar incident Sept. 6 involving a few hundred DSU students at another city park, where a 26-year-old man suffered gunshot wounds in the arm and leg. Police said surveillance footage showed a man carrying a gun and fleeing in a vehicle that was later found on the DSU campus.
Investigators said they found an AR-15 on the rear floorboard of the vehicle and a handgun under the driver’s seat. Police charged 22-year-old Devone Humphrey, a member of the DSU football team, with carrying a concealed weapon but said they do not believe he was the person who shot the victim.
A school spokesman said DSU president Tony Allen was not available for comment Monday morning.