A female visitor at Delaware State University was fatally wounded in a nearby dispute. Two men have been apprehended.
A non-student, De Silva, was shot during an argument between two groups of guys on the campus. She was not the intended target, as per the police. She was visiting her best friend at the time, according to her family.
The two suspects, Jones and Hinson, were arrested last week. They are each charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree conspiracy, and two firearm-related charges.
"Our thoughts are with Camay's family since this senseless act of violence," said Dover Police Chief Johnson. "We hope these arrests can kickstart the process of healing."
The suspects are not registered students and are not associated with the school. Their legal representation status is unknown.
The shooting happened on April 21 around 1:30 am. Dover police officers heard what they believed to be gunshots, and the school's police department got a report of shots being fired on campus around the same time. Another call mentioned a woman lying near some dormitories.
De Silva was found close to a breezeway that links two parts of a dorm with a gunshot wound to her head. She was taken to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Investigators think Jones and Hinson were in a fight with two other men outside a dorm. After leaving the physical fight, they allegedly participated in firing the shots that took De Silva's life.
"Miss De Silva was not involved in this altercation and was not the intended target of the gunfire," said Dover police.
Jones was arrested on Thursday in New York and is awaiting extradition on his charges, while Hinson was arrested the same day in Dover and is being held with bail set above $3 million.
De Silva moved from her college due to a mass shooting
De Silva's family described her as an encourager, intelligent, and funny. She wanted to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
De Silva began college at Morgan State University, Baltimore, the previous year. The shooting there in October 2023, which left 5 people injured, was so traumatic for her that she decided to go closer to home.
"The day she was at Morgan State during the unfortunate shooting there, she let us all know she was okay. As soon as the campus was free of lockdown, she took the next train home," her aunt, Charlotte De Silva Davis, told the media.
At the time of her death, De Silva was studying computer science at Delaware Technical Community College and was transferring to Delaware State University.
"The one thing I want everyone to understand about her is she was a source of light and all she was about was love," De Silva's mother, Shanelle, said.
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Source: edition.cnn.com