Kenwania Brooks, a 29-year-old Black male from Elsmere, Delaware, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 11, 2007. The incident occurred outside the Elsmere Skating Center, located at 215 New Road, while an event was taking place inside the venue. At approximately 3:35 a.m., officers who were already present inside the skating rink heard gunfire and immediately responded. Upon exiting the building, they found one individual suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.
Shortly afterward, law enforcement received word that a second shooting victim, identified as 29-year-old Black male Kenwania Brooks, had been transported by private vehicle to Wilmington Hospital.
Brooks had sustained a gunshot wound to his upper body. Despite immediate medical attention, his injuries proved severe. He was later transferred to Christiana Hospital, where he remained for eleven days before succumbing to his injuries on February 22, 2007. At the time of his death, Kenwania Brooks was still just 29 years old. His obituary reveals he was a father of two daughters and a beloved member of a close-knit family, including his parents, siblings, and extended relatives.
The Elsmere Police Department formally classified his death as a homicide and opened an investigation under case number 35-07-0586. The only known lead at the time was a suspect vehicle described as a black four-door Dodge Charger that was seen fleeing the scene. No individual suspect has ever been named publicly, and no arrests have been made in connection to the shooting death of the 29-year-old Black male.
Years later, the case remains unsolved. In recent efforts to reignite the investigation, a detective with the Elsmere Police Department—who was, at one point, the department's only detective—reopened the cold case with the hope that new information would emerge. Public appeals were issued through local news and law enforcement channels, urging anyone with relevant knowledge to come forward. Despite these efforts, the homicide of Kenwania Brooks, a 29-year-old Black male, remains an open case with no named suspects or resolved arrests.
