CRIME

Wilmington sees 28th slaying of 2014

Esteban Parra
The News Journal
Wilmington police work at the scene of a shooting on the 700 block of Vandever Avenue, reported about 10:40 pm Friday.

A 43-year-old Wilmington man died early Saturday from a gunshot wound to the abdominal area.

By late morning, city police, Wilmington Peacekeepers and members of the Nation of Islam were walking, praying and passing out fliers near the corner where Derrick Caudle had been shot the night before.

"We knew the gentleman who was killed last night, unfortunately," said Brother John Muhammad, who heads the youth ministry for the Nation of Islam Muhammad Mosque No. 35. "He was a good person from my reports and the brothers here. He was not involved in anything and the community is baffled."

Muhammad said they are hurting for their loss, but want to turn those emotions into action and are hosting a youth empowerment summit from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Muhammad Mosque No. 35, 2800 N. Washington St., Wilmington.

"We have to reach our young people," he said. "We have to reach them to let them know that there are other options because many of our youths feel hopeless in this community."

Police were called to the 700 block of Vandever Ave. about 10:30 p.m. Friday on a report of a shooting. When they arrived they found Caudle on the sidewalk.

New Castle County paramedics treated the man before he was taken to Christiana Hospital, said Sgt. Michael McColley, a paramedic spokesman. Caudle died early Saturday, police said.

Caudle's slaying is Wilmington's 28th homicide this year.

For four years, The News Journal has said the homicide record was 27 set in 2010. On Saturday, however, police said the record number of homicides is 29 set in 2010.

According to the FBI's uniform crime reports, there were 28 people who died that year in Wilmington from "murder and nonnegligent manslaughter."

An actual count of homicides for 2010 could not be determined Saturday.

There is no suspect information available at this time and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

Members of the Wilmington PeaceKeepers, a diverse anti-violence group that travels around the city, prayed Saturday morning near the sight where Derrick Caudle was fatally shot Friday.

Police, dressed in civilian clothing, were knocking on doors along Vandever Avenue Saturday and passing along fliers asking for the public's help.

"The Wilmington Police is currently investigating a HOMICIDE that occurred in your neighborhood, and we need your help to find the suspects that are responsible," the flier started. The single page offered options on how people could contact authorities.

The fliers are part of an effort to reach out to people to come forward and report crime in the city where people have been less than willing to report crime. Of the 28 people killed so far this year, police have only charged four people.

"As the police continue to work towards combating crime, the community must also play an active role in ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods," said Alexandra Coppadge, Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams's spokeswoman. "Through open communication, citizens can help police arrest violent offenders, which will lead to building safe and strong neighborhoods."

Several Vandever Avenue residents interviewed by The News Journal Saturday said they were not aware anything had occurred the night before. But after some prodding, one man said he saw a body near the intersection with Spruce Street Friday night. Another man said he's given up calling police because of their slow response and just keeps to himself.

"I'm just working to get the hell out of here," said the man who did not want to be identified.

Robert Oliver, a resident of Vandever Avenue, said the community needs to come together to combat the city’s gun violence.

Robert Oliver, whose family has lived on the block since the late 50s, said there are too many guns in the wrong hands and not enough jobs and safe affordable housing.

"We are doing a lot of reacting instead of pro-acting to some of this stuff that's going on," Oliver said. "All of us. The police can't do it by themselves. The community, the neighbors, everyone has to be involved with this and try to stand to this violence out here."

"We have to take ownership on every block," he added.

Farid Majeed, a member of the PeaceKeepers who was out knocking on doors near the shooting scene Saturday, expects gun violence to continue until people, especially young men, become active in their communities.

"We need to appeal to that younger generation of men because they don't have any leadership at all," Majeed said.

While it's important for people to express an outcry for events such as incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, and Stanton Island, where unarmed men were killed by police, Wilmington Councilman Michael A. Brown Sr. wondered where the outcry was for the violence going on in the city.

"They do these demonstrations and they stop the traffic and I understand all of that," said Brown who chairs the Council's public safety committee. "But why aren't we staging die-ins for the folks right here in the city that we know of that are being killed?

"It is confusing to me that we, Wilmingtonians, can make a loud cry and a loud noise in joining in other cities around the country and we've been having this black on black crime here. Where are the die-ins and the sit-ins and the demonstrations for that?"

Anyone with information in this homicide should call Detective Randy Knoll of Wilmington's Criminal Investigation Division Homicide Unit at (302) 576- 3646.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.