Victim of New Castle homicide was local teen

A man fatally shot in New Castle, in the city's first killing in 15 years, was identified Thursday night as a resident killed about a half-mile from his home.

Malik Watson, 18, lived in the 700 block of W. 11th St. in New Castle, Senior Lt. Adam P. Brams said Thursday night.

He was shot down Wednesday afternoon in the 100 block of W. Ninth St., an autopsy finding he died of a gunshot wound to the chest, Brams said.

Investigation of his death, ruled a homicide, continued Thursday.

"We do have a person of interest," Brams said, adding he could not elaborate without risk of compromising the investigation.

Lethal violence is so rare in the historic city of about 5,000 residents that Brams said he could not recall the last fatal shooting.

"The last homicide we had was in 1999, but that wasn't a shooting," Brams said. "That was a domestic-related homicide, a strangulation-beating that started as a missing person, then became a homicide investigation after the body was discovered."

Wednesday's shooting was reported at 1:27 p.m. in the Shawtown area of New Castle.

Watson was taken to Christiana Hospital, where Brams said he later was pronounced dead.

No details about the circumstances of the shooting have been released.

Investigators spent Wednesday night "conducting interviews and trying to find a suspect," Brams said.

They continued the investigation Thursday.

Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to call the New Castle City Police Department at (302) 322-9800.

Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.