Delaware DMV shooting near New Castle-area raw video
Raw video of the shooting scene at the New Castle-area DMV on Dec. 23, 2025.
An active shooter at the Wilmington Division of Motor Vehicles near New Castle that prompted the abrupt closure of the center mid-afternoon on Tuesday, Dec. 23 has been contained by police, per state authorities.
As of 2:42 p.m. Tuesday, Delaware State Police posted on X that there is no longer an active shooter and “one suspect is in custody.” Meanwhile, Delaware’s governor has said on X that the shooter is dead.
It’s not immediately clear if those are the same people, as police have not yet released many details about what happened Tuesday afternoon.
The public is still being asked to avoid the area and travelers should expect major delays, as the incident prompted the response of hundreds of local first responders.
All people in need of motor vehicle services have been directed to the DMV location in Delaware City, per the state’s website.
Gov. Matt Meyer took to X shortly after the shooting to stress there is “no active threat to the public at this time.”
“Law enforcement acted swiftly to secure the scene, and the shooter has been confirmed deceased,” he wrote. “State and local law enforcement are on the scene and coordinating response efforts. Please avoid the area and follow guidance from authorities.”
He also noted that more updates would come as they are confirmed.
Though few details were available as of 2:45 p.m., dozens of police and first responder vehicles crowded Hessler Boulevard where the DMV is located.
The DMV technically falls under the Delaware State Police jurisdiction, and with troopers routinely stationed at the DMV for security, their vehicles were easy to spot. Others include the Delaware River and Bay Authority, New Castle County Police, as well as fire companies from across the county and beyond, along with paramedic units.
Police officers in tactical gear could be seen walking toward the DMV Tuesday afternoon.
Video footage streaming inside the DMV showed officers moving about inside the division about 2:25 p.m. on Dec. 23. The surveillance video is typically used as a way to gauge how busy the DMV location is.
State police troopers are usually stationed at the DMV locations for security purposes, but the number of officers seen on camera were well above what is typical at the location.
This is a developing story. Check back with Delaware Online for more updates.
