Andre Hickson, a 37-year-old Black/African American man, was shot on the evening of July 6, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware, after violence broke out in the 800 block of East 13th Street. Police were called at about 6:09 p.m. and found him suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed from the scene to the hospital, but the injuries were too severe, and he died soon afterward.
Early reports identified him as the victim in what was then an active fatal shooting investigation.
What later emerged was that Hickson's death began with a confrontation at an auto repair facility. According to prosecutors, Hickson and Timothy Thomas became involved in a verbal altercation. The argument escalated when Thomas pulled out a firearm and shot Hickson in the chest before fleeing the area. Hickson was transported to Christiana Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
For more than two years, the case continued through the Wilmington Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division. Detective Brian Conkey led the investigation, and police eventually identified Timothy Thomas as the suspect. In August 2022, the case was presented to a New Castle County Grand Jury, which returned an indictment against Thomas. At that time, Thomas was already incarcerated on unrelated charges. He was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited. After arraignment in Justice of the Peace Court 20, his bail was set at $1,080,000 cash only, and he remained committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution.
The case later moved toward resolution through a plea agreement. On October 2, 2023, Timothy Thomas pleaded guilty in New Castle County Superior Court to second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited. The plea resolved not only the case involving Hickson's killing, but also several other pending cases against Thomas, including possession of a firearm by a person prohibited from 2020, strangulation from 2020, assault third degree and malicious interference from 2021, and theft of a motor vehicle from 2021.
On January 5, 2024, Thomas was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting. Delaware officials described the sentence as a global resolution of the five pending cases against him. Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos credited detectives and prosecutors with securing the conviction, while the Delaware Department of Justice said the outcome brought accountability for the shooting that took Hickson's life after a dispute at an auto shop turned deadly.
