Suspect in custody after deadly shooting at Delaware hospital: Police

The shooting occurred at Wilmington Hospital, police said.

June 16, 2026, 10:17 PM

The suspect in a shooting at a Delaware hospital that left one person dead and another wounded was taken into custody Tuesday night, Wilmington police said.

In an update, police said the suspect in the shooting, a 23-year-old man, was taken into custody in Philadelphia -- about 40 miles northeast of Wilmington.

Law enforcement officials earlier told ABC News a hospital employee was suspected of shooting two co-workers.

In the update, police said: "Our preliminary investigation has determined that this was a targeted, isolated incident."

The police response following a shooting at a hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, June 16, 2026.
WPVI

The shooting occurred at Wilmington Hospital around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

One of the shooting victims died, according to Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos.

Police are not sharing details on the condition of the second employee, as well as the names of both shooting victims, at this time, Campos said.

Police believe the incident is strictly a workplace shooting, the law enforcement officials said.

The name of the suspect is known to police, and the individual may have been a temporary employee, officials told ABC News earlier.

At a press briefing Tuesday, Campos said police were working to confirm the suspect's identity.

"Regardless of what the motive is in this incident might have been, there is never an excuse for violence, and there is never an excuse for gun violence," Campos said during the press briefing. "Our investigators will be working tirelessly to apprehend the suspect and ensure they are brought to justice."

The police response following a shooting at a hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, June 16, 2026.
WPVI

Law enforcement cautioned that the information is preliminary and could change. The investigation is continuing.

The hospital was on lockdown as officers searched the building, though the lockdown has since been lifted, police said.

"I want to offer my thoughts and prayers for the employees at Wilmington High Hospital, who I know experienced a terrible day today," Wilmington Mayor John Carney said during Tuesday's press briefing. "It's hard to imagine what they were thinking as they were barricaded in rooms across the hospital as our law enforcement teams went through and cleared each of the floors."

Carney commended the law enforcement officers who responded for the "bravery that they showed in the face of this unthinkable threat."

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer condemned the deadly violence.

"Every Delawarean deserves to feel safe, whether at home, at school, at work, or seeking care at a hospital," he said at the briefing. "Today is a sobering reminder that no one is immune from the devastation of gun violence."

Meyer said the incident hit close to home for his family, noting that just minutes earlier, he went with his wife, Dr. Lauren Meyer, an emergency room physician, as she reported to work at the hospital.

"What I saw were heroes going to work in that building, and heroes who were involved in life-saving efforts leaving at the end of their shift," he said.

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