Delaware State Police are investigating a homicide and officer-involved shooting that occurred in Dover Tuesday afternoon, resulting in the deaths of two men.
On June 4, 2024, at approximately 5:25 p.m., troopers responded to Harmony at Kent Senior Living Center located at 1435 East Lebanon Road, Dover, for a report of a trespassing that escalated to a shooting. The preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, 51-year-old Arnold Azamar of Camden, Delaware, was on the property visiting a female relative after having been banned from the facility for aggressive behavior in the past. Accompanied by his female relative, Azamar was escorted out of the building by 59-year-old staff member William Whitehead of Frederica, Delaware. Upon exiting the building, Azamar punched Whitehead, then ran to his vehicle and retrieved a handgun according to police.
Officials said once armed, Azamar fired one shot into a male relative’s vehicle as they drove through the senior living facility’s parking lot and then shot Whitehead. After shooting Whitehead, Azamar remained by his vehicle alongside his female relative as troopers and officers from Probation and Parole, Wyoming Police Department, and Dover Police Department arrived at the scene. Troopers attempted to negotiate with Azamar; however, he walked away from his vehicle and raised the handgun, prompting two troopers to discharge their divisional-issued firearms at him.
Following the shooting, troopers administered first aid to Azamar and Whitehead until EMS arrived and transported them to an area hospital, where both men were pronounced dead. No one else was injured as a result of this incident.
Per Delaware State Police standard operating procedures, the involved troopers have been placed on administrative leave pending a use of force investigation conducted in conjunction with the Delaware Department of Justice.
The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit is actively investigating this incident.