MIDDLETOWN, Del. (AP) — A man shot a Delaware state trooper outside a convenience store on Wednesday and later barricaded himself inside his house, where he continued to fire shots at officers, police said.
The trooper was shot shortly after noon outside a Wawa convenience store, and police said they had not determined the motive for the attack. The trooper was rushed to a hospital, and police did not immediately provide any updates on his condition.
Officers tracked the gunman to his house in a subdivision of two-story homes in Middletown, about 15 miles south of where the trooper was shot.
The gunman refused to leave the house and fired multiple times at officers surrounding the home, said Master Cpl. Gary Fournier, a state police spokesman. No other officers were injured.
“There have been multiple gunshots that have come from the house at police officers,” Fournier said.
Hostage negotiators were on the scene and established contact with the man in an effort to get him to surrender peacefully, Fournier said.
Residents in the area were called using “reverse 911” and told to stay inside and lock their doors, and the Appoquinimink School District went on lockdown, keeping all students and staff inside school buildings. Parents were told not to go to school to pick up their kids.
“We’re negotiating with him,” Fournier said. “There has been some establishment of communication between the suspect and police agencies.”
Police have identified the man, Fournier said, but have yet to release his name.
One witness, Clarence Travers, told The News Journal of Wilmington that he heard gunfire while sitting at a red light and saw a police officer fall to the ground. After the initial gunfire, Travers said he saw a man get out of a car and shoot the officer on the ground multiple times before getting away.
Police have not corroborated Travers’ version of events.
Associated Press writer Ben Nuckols in Washington contributed to this report.
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