Zaahir Thorton, a 28-year-old Black / African American male, was found dead in Wilmington, Delaware, on the morning of August 28, 2023, after police were called to the area of East 24th and North Pine Streets near Brown-Burton Winchester Park. The call came in around 6:32 a.m. for reports of gunfire, and when officers arrived, they found Thorton's body in the park area. Early reporting identified him as being from Philadelphia and said he had been shot.
The scene carried the stillness of something that had happened before most of the neighborhood was fully awake. Brown-Burton Winchester Park, a public place with playground equipment and open space, became the center of a homicide investigation as police worked to determine what led to the shooting. Initial reports did not describe a confrontation, motive, or the moments immediately before the gunfire. Authorities said the case was still under investigation and asked anyone with information to contact Wilmington Police Detective Derek Haines or Delaware Crime Stoppers.
For many months, public information about the killing appeared limited, with police initially releasing only the basic facts: Thorton had been found shot, the incident happened early on a Monday morning, and investigators were seeking help from the public. The case later moved forward when Wilmington police announced that two men had been charged with murder in connection with the August 2023 killing at Brown-Burton Winchester Park.
The suspects identified in later reporting were Nyzier Cannon-Wilson and Aaron Watson. They were charged in 2025 in connection with Thorton's death, turning what had begun as an open homicide investigation into a case with named defendants. Available online reporting indicates the charges were tied specifically to the killing of Thorton in the park, though detailed public accounts of the alleged motive, the evidence used to charge them, or the status of any trial or conviction were not available in the accessible source material reviewed.
