Dover police charge two with murder in fatal shooting after Delaware State homecoming events

As of 7:57 a.m. ET, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026

Dover police have arrested and charged two men with first-degree murder in the Oct. 10 shooting in a Dover shopping center parking lot that killed Nasir Cox, 22, of Philadelphia, and wounded a 21-year-old man, the Dover Police Department said Wednesday.

The shooting happened at about 9:19 p.m. in the parking lot of the Dover Commons shopping center after Delaware State University's homecoming events ended and large crowds gathered at nearby shopping centers, police said.

The arrests

Police said detectives identified a 22-year-old Dover man as one of the suspected shooters. He was taken into custody without incident on Oct. 16 at a residence in the 500 block of Crawford Avenue, where investigators recovered a 9mm handgun, ammunition, and clothing and accessories matching those worn during the shooting, according to the department.

A second suspect, 18, was found Wednesday by a U.S. Marshals Service task force at a residence in Snow Hill, Maryland, and is being held there pending extradition to Delaware, police said. The department said an earlier version of its release wrongly gave his age as 17; he is 18 and was 18 on the night of the shooting.

Both are charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, four counts of first-degree reckless endangering and carrying a concealed deadly weapon, police said. "All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court," the release says.

What police said

"These arrests reflect the persistence, investigative skill, and professionalism required to bring a complex and challenging case to this stage," Dover Police Chief Thomas Johnson Jr. said. "While these arrests cannot undo the harm inflicted, they represent an important step toward accountability and justice for the victims, their families, and our community."

Police did not release the suspects' names. The department said a Delaware law that took effect Oct. 21, House Bill 59, limits when law enforcement may release the names and photographs of adults charged with crimes.

What is not known

The release does not give a motive or court dates. Police said the 21-year-old who was wounded was hospitalized and stable as of the department's original release.