A routine stop on his way home from work turned fatal for Nacier Collins, a 27-year-old father of two, who was shot and killed in Wilmington, Delaware. Friends remembered the young man as a "quiet guy" who took care of himself and others. His death on the evening of Tuesday, November 3, 2026, marked another tragedy for a community that felt it had already seen too much violence.
The shooting occurred at about 8:49 p.m. in the 2300 block of Jessup Street. Wilmington Police officers responded to calls of gunfire and discovered a chaotic scene with three victims. Nacier Collins was found with critical gunshot wounds and was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Two women were also wounded in the incident. A 31-year-old woman was located at the scene and transported to the hospital. A 21-year-old woman independently arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds.
Both women were listed in stable condition.
The incident left residents of the northeast Wilmington neighborhood shaken. The block where the shooting happened was already the site of a makeshift memorial for another young man killed months earlier. In June, 19-year-old Kadir Skinner had been shot and killed by a Wilmington police officer near the same intersection, an event that sparked community outrage and demands for accountability. The new memorial of balloons and candles for Nacier served as a painful reminder of the area's ongoing struggle with gun violence.
A friend of Nacier's, who was also the cousin of Kadir Skinner, expressed the fear and frustration that had gripped the neighborhood. He told reporters that residents felt scared to even sit outside. "Just last night everybody was having a good time and this just happened," he said. He also voiced a deep distrust in law enforcement following Skinner's death, stating, "The situation with Kadir, it took our trust in police 100 percent. Because we sat out here and we witnessed it."
The Wilmington Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division launched a homicide investigation. In the hours after the shooting, SkyForce10 flew over the scene, capturing images of evidence markers scattered across the roadway as investigators worked to piece together what happened. Authorities have not released any information regarding a possible motive for the shooting or identified any persons of interest. The circumstances leading to the gunfire remain unknown to the public.
As of November 2026, no arrests have been made in the killing of Nacier Collins, and the investigation remains open. He leaves behind two children and friends who are mourning the sudden and violent loss of a man they say did not deserve his fate. Police are urging the public to come forward with any information that could help bring justice to his family. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brendan Shea at (302) 576-3649. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or through their website, DelawareCrimeStoppers.com.
