Crime & Safety
Delaware Shooting: 9 Shot, 17-Year-Old Girl Killed at Party
Ellendale, DE – A Halloween night gathering in southern Delaware turned deadly Saturday when an unknown gunman allegedly opened fire into a crowd at an outdoor party, killing a 17 year old girl and in
By Paige Sullivan · 2026-11-01T19:11:02.469Z
Ellendale, DE – A Halloween night gathering in southern Delaware turned deadly Saturday when an unknown gunman allegedly opened fire into a crowd at an outdoor party, killing a 17 year old girl and injuring eight others, according to state police.
According to the Delaware State Police, troopers responded around 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, to reports of gunfire in the 18000 block of Beach Highway in Ellendale, Sussex County.
Arriving officers discovered multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Gunman Allegedly Fires Into Crowd From Neighboring Property Preliminary findings indicate that an unidentified suspect allegedly fired from a neighboring property into a crowd attending an outdoor gathering, striking nine people.
A 17 year old girl from Seaford was transported to an area hospital with life threatening injuries, where she later died.
Authorities are withholding her identity pending notification of family members.
A 20 year old man from Seaford also suffered life threatening gunshot injuries. Police reported that he was in stable condition.
Eight Survivors Include Teenagers and Young Adults The seven remaining injured victims included two 17 year old boys from Selbyville and five adults between the ages of 19 and 22 from Ellendale, Seaford, Greenwood and Laurel.
Police described their injuries as non life threatening.
All surviving victims were taken to area hospitals for medical treatment.
Delaware State Police Seek Information The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit is actively investigating the shooting.
Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or released information about a possible motive.
Detectives are asking anyone who attended the gathering or has information about the shooting to contact Detective B. McDerby at 302 741 2821 .
Anonymous information can also be submitted through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800 847 3333 .
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine what led to the deadly Halloween night gunfire.