Police are investigating the late-night shooting on East Main Street in Newark, with all six victims taken to hospitals.
NEWARK, DE — Six people were shot near the University of Delaware late Saturday during Halloween celebrations, prompting a large police response and closing part of Main Street for about five hours as investigators searched the area.
Newark police said officers responded at about 11:13 p.m. Oct. 31 to the area of East Main Street and Choate Street after reports of gunfire. Police said the shooting occurred on the south sidewalk of East Main Street, directly across from Choate Street. All six victims were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment. Authorities had not released their conditions as of Sunday.
The shooting occurred in a busy section of downtown Newark just blocks from the University of Delaware, where Main Street is lined with restaurants, bars and businesses and is frequently crowded on weekends. Videos recorded around the time of the shooting showed people fleeing the area after gunfire erupted. Police officers were already nearby when the shooting occurred, according to local reporting.
Newark police said detectives were working to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The department had not announced a motive or publicly identified any suspects. Police also had not released the identities of the six people who were injured. The lack of confirmed details left several major questions unanswered Sunday, including what led to the gunfire and whether anyone had been taken into custody.
The University of Delaware Police Department assisted with the emergency response and continued coordinating with Newark police, according to a university campus safety update. The university notified its community about police activity Saturday night and posted additional information as the investigation continued Sunday. University officials said Main Street had reopened after the overnight police investigation.
Students described a chaotic scene as people began running from the downtown area. University of Delaware senior Todd Gilardi told 6abc that he heard repeated bangs before seeing police vehicles rush past. Other students said videos circulating after the shooting showed crowds sprinting away from the area. The university’s emergency alert system also sent messages to members of the campus community as police responded.
Newark police closed Main Street for approximately five hours between South Chapel and Haines streets while investigators worked at the scene. The closure affected one of the city’s main downtown corridors before the roadway reopened Sunday morning. Police did not report an ongoing threat to the public in early reports following the shooting.
The University of Delaware’s student newspaper, The Review, reported that the shooting happened as large numbers of people were downtown for Halloween. The publication reported a heavy response from Newark police, University of Delaware police and Delaware State Police. As of early Sunday, Newark police had not reported any fatalities connected to the shooting.
Police asked people who recorded video or took photographs around the time of the shooting to provide the material to investigators. Authorities said additional information would be released as the investigation progresses. As of Sunday, the victims’ conditions, the reason for the shooting and information about any possible suspect remained publicly unconfirmed.
Author note: Last updated November 1, 2026.