Newark Police Investigate Shooting That Hospitalized Six Near University of Delaware

A Halloween night shooting near the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, left six people hospitalized after gunfire erupted in an area popular with students. Newark police responded to reports of shots fired on East Main Street at approximately 11:15 p.m. Saturday.

According to Newark police, officers were dispatched to the 100 block of East Main Street, just blocks from the university. The incident occurred in an area frequently visited by students on weekends.

Police transported all six injured people to two separate hospitals. Authorities have not released information about their medical conditions or the severity of their injuries.

Video obtained by Action News showed people celebrating Halloween before gunfire disrupted the gathering and sent individuals running from the area. Police officers were already nearby when the shooting occurred.

University of Delaware senior Todd Gilardi described hearing the gunfire and seeing police vehicles arrive.

"We just hear bang bang bang... many cops just fly by," said Todd Gilardi, a senior at the university.

Another university senior, Aidan Montgomery, described the panic as people rushed away from the scene. Additional footage circulating after the incident showed individuals running along the street.

"People were running, there's video surfacing everyone sprinting up the street," said Aidan Montgomery, a senior.

Students also raised concerns about the university's emergency notification. Several said they received an alert on their phones, but the message did not explicitly identify the incident as a shooting.

University of Delaware sophomore Patrick McKenna said the wording of the notification caused confusion among students.

"We did get a UD alert. However, there's a lot of controversy because they didn't specify shooting, just said police activity," said Patrick McKenna, a sophomore.

McKenna added that the incident was particularly unsettling because it happened on Main Street, an area where students do not typically expect such violence.

"It's pretty scary for Halloween especially in a place in Newark on Main Street this stuff never really happens," said Patrick McKenna.

Freshmen Kiani Loweri and Zanajah Hall said students did not fully understand the scale of the incident until several hours after the shooting.

"That never happens.. it ruined our Halloween night..," said freshmen Kiani Loweri and Zanajah Hall.

Newark police continue to investigate the shooting. Authorities have not announced further details about the injured individuals or identified additional information about the circumstances surrounding the gunfire.