Wilmington Delaware Shooting: David Matusiewicz Named Alleged Gunman In Shooting At New Castle County Courthouse

A shooting at a courthouse in Wilmington, Del., left three people dead on Monday morning, including the suspected gunman; two police officers were also wounded.

The lone gunman has been identified as David T. Matusiewicz, 45, a former optometrist, who was at the New Castle County for a child support hearing involving his three children. Matusiewicz has sought custody since he was arrested for allegedly abducting the children in 2007, Fox 29 said. Matusiewicz’s ex-wife, who was believed to be among the dead, had accused him of abducting their children in Nicaragua, and telling them that she'd committed suicide, multiple news reports said. At the time, Matusiewicz was facing several federal bank-fraud charges, they said.

Delaware’s Police Sergeant Paul G. Shavack said that five people in total were shot during the incident, including two women who were killed and the gunman. It was not immediately clear if the victims had been shot by the gunman or by police, Bloomberg reported. Shavack said the gunman opened fire in the lobby of the New Castle County Courthouse on 500 N. King Street before passing through metal detectors.

"An exchange of gunfire took place, we have these people shot," Shavack said. "I can't give you details of who shot who."

Irvin Neal, who had been on his way to the court building, told NBC Philadelphia, "I saw the gentleman and a bunch of ladies and people running out of the court building and I just hear all the bam, bam, bam, so I ran too. And the gentleman that passed me told me not to go in there."

Dennis Williams, mayor of Wilmington, said the gunman was killed by police and that one of the victims was the shooter’s estranged wife; however, Shavack said that he could not confirm whether any of those involved were related to the gunman.

Shavack said that two Capitol Police officers who responded to reports of gunfire were wounded when they entered the courthouse lobby around 8 a.m. He added that they had been taken to a nearby hospital and were being treated for nonlife-threatening injuries.

The 12-story courthouse was evacuated by police. At the time Shavack was interviewed, he said police were still conducting a floor-by-floor search of the building to confirm that there had been a lone shooter and rule out any additional threats.

In a statement, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, who had not yet visited the scene of the shooting, said “Our thoughts and prayers right now are with the victims of this senseless violence.”