On February 16, 2014, Kevin Banner, a 41-year-old African American male from Claymont, Delaware, was fatally shot in Wilmington. The incident occurred in the 500 block of North Rodney Street around 1:30 p.m. Wilmington police responded to a 911 call and found Kevin Banner lying unresponsive on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his chest. Officers administered CPR at the scene before transporting him to Christiana Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Multiple shell casings were found
in the snow near the scene, indicating a violent and sudden attack. Preliminary investigations suggested that the 41-year-old African American male victim was walking along Rodney Street when he was shot by an unknown assailant. At the time, police had no description of the suspect, and the investigation remained ongoing. The homicide marked Wilmington's third of the year and was part of a troubling trend of escalating gun violence in the city.
Neighbors expressed shock and sadness, noting that the area was typically quiet and free of such violence. Some residents, including a woman who had lived nearby for seven years, said the block had been largely peaceful. Others voiced frustration over the increasing frequency of shootings and the lack of effective intervention. Community leaders, including City Council members, had previously called for federal assistance to address what they described as a public health crisis of gun violence.
As of the latest available reports, no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting of Kevin Banner, a 41-year-old African American male. The identity of the suspect or suspects remained unknown, and authorities continued to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
