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Updated Reports: Suspect And Two Victims Dead In Delaware Shooting

Update at 12:10 p.m. ET. Gunman Opened Fire In Lobby:

Many questions remain unanswered, but we're starting to get a clearer picture of what happened Monday around 8 a.m ET at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., when a gunman opened fire.

According to WDDE, Delaware's NPR News station:

"The suspect in an early morning shooting at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington and two victims, both female civilians, have been pronounced dead. Two Capitol Police officers have sustained non-life threatening injuries.

"Police on the scene indicate the shooter did not get past the building's metal detectors before he opened fire. A state police spokesman says the shooting took place in the public lobby before those entering the building reach security and the metal detectors."

DelawareOnline.com, the website of the Wilmington News Journal, reports it has been told by "numerous law enforcement and legal sources" that the gunman was "a former optometrist who spent time in federal prison for kidnapping his three daughters and bank fraud in 2007." It's thought that one of the women who were killed was his ex-wife, the newssite says.

Update at 10:20 a.m. ET. Two Women Reportedly Shot To Death:

The reported death toll from a shooting incident this morning in Wilmington, Del., now stands at three — including the gunman — according to local NPR news station WDDE and DelawareOnline.com.

DelawareOnline adds that, "Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams reported one of those killed was the shooter's wife."

The suspect was reportedly shot by officers at the scene. There are reports that two or three other people were injured.

Update at 9:45 a.m. ET. "Suspect Dead, Five Injured In Delaware Courthouse Shooting":

"The suspect in an early morning shooting at the New Castle County Courthouse has been pronounced dead," our colleagues at Delaware's WDDE report. The station adds that at least five people were injured during the incident.

And according to the station:

"At 8:00 this morning, a shooter entered the lobby of the New Castle County Courthouse at 500 North King Street in Wilmington. Shots were fired, but specific details on the shooting are unavailable.

"Police are conducting a routine search of the premises and are interviewing possible witnesses as they evacuate the courthouse."

Our original post — "Developing: Shots Fired At Delaware Courthouse":

Shots were fired Monday morning at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., according to local news reports.

Those news sites are reporting there have been at least a few people injured. But as of 9:15 a.m. ET, there wasn't much solid information, including whether the shooter has or has not been taken into custody. We'll watch and monitor.

Among the news outlets that have jumped on the story:

-- Delaware Online.

-- Philadelphia's NBC 10.

-- My Fox Philly.

This is happening as Vice President Biden is in nearby Philadelphia for a "roundtable on gun violence with law enforcement officials."

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.
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