William Whitehead, a 59-year-old male from Frederica, Delaware, was killed on June 4, 2024, at Harmony at Kent Senior Living Center on East Lebanon Road in Dover. The incident began as a trespassing call after Arnold Azamar Jr., 51, of Camden, Delaware, came to the facility to visit his mother despite having reportedly been banned from the property because of prior aggressive behavior.
Azamar was initially allowed to finish dinner with his mother, but tension rose afterward when a
dispute developed over whether he could remain there or possibly leave with her. Staff became concerned, and Whitehead, described in reports as an off-duty maintenance worker who had previously dealt with Azamar, became involved. Whitehead was with his young son during the confrontation. As the situation moved outside, Azamar allegedly punched Whitehead, went to his vehicle, retrieved a handgun, and began firing. Authorities said he shot Whitehead and also fired at or damaged a vehicle in the parking lot.
Police arrived as the scene was still active. Troopers and other officers took positions around the parking lot while attempting to control the situation. According to investigators, Azamar remained armed and, after officers tried to engage him, he raised the handgun. Delaware State Police Sgt. John Wilson and Cpl. Eric Saccomanno fired three rounds, striking Azamar. He died at the scene. Whitehead also died from the shooting, turning the trespassing call into both a homicide investigation and an officer-involved shooting investigation.
Azamar was identified by Delaware State Police as the murder suspect, but no arrest was made because he was killed during the confrontation shortly after Whitehead was shot. There were no criminal charges, trial, or conviction connected to Azamar because he died at the scene. The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit investigated Whitehead's killing, while the Delaware Department of Justice reviewed the troopers' use of deadly force.
In 2026, the Delaware Department of Justice concluded that the troopers' actions were legally justified and declined to pursue criminal charges against them. The DOJ found that the use of deadly force did not constitute a criminal offense under Delaware law, citing the armed threat Azamar posed after he had already shot Whitehead and threatened others at the senior living facility.
