James Manlove-McKnight, a 31-year-old Black/African American male from Wilmington, Delaware, was killed on the night of April 23, 2021, in a double shooting that also took the life of 31-year-old Jermaine Black. Wilmington police were called at about 8:40 p.m. to the 300 block of West 23rd Street after a report of gunfire. When officers arrived, they found both men suffering from gunshot wounds.
The scene quickly became a homicide investigation as emergency responders were unable to save either victim, and both men were pronounced dead from their injuries.
The shooting left two Wilmington families grieving at the same time and became part of a violent year in the city, where gun violence was repeatedly described in local reporting as a serious and worsening crisis. What began as a Friday-night call for police turned into an unsolved double homicide, with investigators working to determine who opened fire, why the two men were targeted, and whether anyone nearby saw or heard something that could help identify the person or people responsible.
As the investigation aged without an arrest, the case was eventually assigned to the Wilmington Police Department’s Cold Case Unit. That unit handles unsolved cases after initial leads have been exhausted, and detectives have continued to review evidence and seek new information. In 2026, more than five years after the killings, Wilmington police renewed their request for public assistance in the deaths of James Manlove-McKnight and Jermaine Black, signaling that the case remained active but unresolved.
No arrests, suspects, charges, trial proceedings, or convictions have been publicly reported in connection with James Manlove-McKnight’s death. Authorities have not released the name of a suspect or described a motive in available public reports. The case remains open, and police have continued asking anyone with information to contact the Wilmington Police Department Cold Case Unit or submit tips through Delaware Crime Stoppers.
