NEWARK, Delaware — The investigation into the Halloween-night shooting that wounded six young people on East Main Street, beside the University of Delaware, took two significant turns on Sunday, November 1. Newark Police charged one of the six victims — a 16-year-old boy from Wilmington who is himself in hospital in serious condition with multiple gunshot wounds — after officers say they found him in possession of a loaded firearm. And the University of Delaware, whose campus sits steps from the shooting scene, suspended all classes for Monday, November 2, telling students and staff to rest, process and connect with support.

Source: Newark Police press release, Update 2, Nov 1, 2026, via DispatchTimes

The shooting itself — the earlier development this report follows — happened at about 11:13 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, on the south sidewalk of East Main Street, across from Choate Street, during a large Halloween gathering in downtown Newark. Crowds fled from nearby bars and restaurants as officers and emergency crews responded. All six victims, aged 15 to 21, were taken to hospital. Newark Police said there was no continuing danger to the community, and Main Street was closed for about five hours while detectives worked the scene.

The six victims — conditions in full

Police have now given the conditions of all six. A 15-year-old boy who was shot in the back remained in critical condition. Another 15-year-old boy, shot in the foot, was in serious condition. The 16-year-old boy from Wilmington suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was also in serious condition, as were a 19-year-old man shot in the back and a 20-year-old man whose injuries caused a collapsed lung. A 21-year-old woman was treated and discharged after suffering a graze wound to her leg. At least one of the six is a University of Delaware student, according to local television reporting, and the university has said the incident affected the wider community, including people who witnessed the violence. Under Awaaz Punjab's minor-safety rule, the teenage victims are not named — police have not named them either; the youngest victims are identified here by age and city only.

A victim charged: loaded gun, three counts, $60,100 cash bail

During the investigation, officers found the 16-year-old victim from Wilmington in possession of a loaded firearm, which was recovered, police said. He has been charged with possession of a firearm by a person under 21, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and breach of release. He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court No. 3 and given cash bail of $60,100, and he remained in hospital in Newark Police custody on Sunday. His identity has not been released because he is under 18. Two points matter for fairness: police have stressed that the wider shooting investigation remains active, and they have not said this teenager fired the shots that wounded the six — he is a victim of the shooting who now also faces weapons charges, and he is presumed innocent of those charges unless proven guilty.

On the street that night, help came from bystanders before it came from uniforms. One bystander told local television station Fox 29 that he removed his shirt to press against a young victim's abdominal wound and held the teenager's hand until emergency responders arrived. 'It's very, very, very upsetting,' he said. 'I've seen deaths before, but this one hit me even harder just because, like this kid, he's very, very young.' Another witness, Todd Gilardi, who was near the area when the shots rang out, described hearing 'bang bang bang' and seeing police rush past as crowds sprinted up the street.

University suspends Monday classes; teaching resumes Wednesday

The University of Delaware said all in-person and virtual classes would be suspended on Monday, November 2, to give students and staff time to recover and access support. With the university already closed on Tuesday for Election Day, teaching is due to resume on Wednesday, November 4. The university said the decision was not prompted by an ongoing safety threat — Newark Police have indicated there is no continuing danger — while campus dining, other services and counselling support remain available. In a message to the university community, President Laura Carlson, Interim Provost Bill Farquhar and Executive Vice-President Ellen Herbst said the campus had been 'shaken' by the shooting and that classes were being paused to allow people to 'rest, process, and connect with support.' The university's emergency alert on the night itself went out at 11:29 p.m., sixteen minutes after the shooting, telling people to avoid the area.

Source: University of Delaware community update, Nov 1, 2026

Governor condemns a violent Halloween in Delaware

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer condemned the Newark shooting, along with a separate Halloween-night shooting in Ellendale — also reported by Awaaz Punjab — in a statement on November 1. 'No family should have to receive the call that someone they love has been shot,' the Governor said, adding that gun violence must not be accepted as 'a part of life in Delaware.' The University of Delaware Police Department and several other local and state agencies have assisted Newark Police with the investigation, and Delaware State Police were coordinating with the Newark department, according to the Governor's office reporting.

Source: Delaware Governor's statement, Nov 1, 2026

What happens next

The central question is still unanswered: who opened fire on East Main Street, and why. Police had not identified a shooter in the information released by Sunday, and no one has been charged with the shooting itself — the only charge so far is the weapons case against the wounded 16-year-old, who remains in hospital in police custody. Detectives continue to collect video from a crowded street on the busiest night of the autumn, students return to classes on Wednesday, November 4, after the Election Day closure, and five of the six victims were still in hospital in serious or critical condition in the last police update. Awaaz Punjab will follow the hospital conditions, any arrest for the shooting itself, and the teenager's court case as they develop.