Two people are dead and a school was put on lockdown early Thursday morning. Now, police are saying the suspect killed himself during the hours long killing spree.
SMYRNA (DE) BY DIGITAL STAFF: It was early Tuesday morning when Smyrna Police was dispatched to the Smyrna Middle School for a report of a shooting. Hoping they wouldn’t find a victim, officers located a 38-Year-Old woman shot dead in the school’s parking lot at 700 Duck Creek Parkway.
Soon after, Smyrna Police requested assistance from Delaware State Police and the school was placed in lockdown. While many questions have gone unanswered State Police say the ordeal began around 10:30 a.m. as all seemed normal until gunshots rang outside the school.
After hours of waiting for information, Police finally release information in the ordeal that wouldn’t end until late Tuesday night.
A 38-year-old female victim and a 47-year-old male suspect arrived at the school together in the wife’s vehicle to pick up their daughter for a medical appointment, but in the parking lot, the couple had a verbal exchange outside of the car which led to the male suspect pulling the victim back into the vehicle where he produced a weapon and shot the victim.
Once the victim was found by Smyrna Police, the school was then placed lockdown and a search for the suspect commenced, however, the suspect fled the scene alone in the vehicle the couple arrived in, and then switched into another vehicle that was registered to him parked nearby.
Around 11:00 a.m., troopers located the suspect’s vehicle in the area of Route 13 and Route 42 and a pursuit ensued but the suspect fled into Maryland and ultimately shot himself and crashed near Galena, MD.
At the crash scene, the suspect was transported to a Maryland area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Later Tuesday afternoon, troopers obtained information there could be a second victim who was an acquaintance of the 38-year-old female victim.
“With the assistance of Smyrna PD, officers responded to the 800 block of McLane Gardens, Smyrna to check on the welfare of a 21-year-old female. Officers located the second female victim inside of her residence with apparent gunshot wounds. The 21-year-old victim was also pronounced deceased at the scene.” | Gary Fournier, Delaware State Police spokesman.
Police say the bodies have been turned over to the Division of Forensic Science where an autopsy will be performed to determine the manner and cause of death.
Update: 04/29/21: On Thursday, Delaware State Police released the names of the two victims and suspect involved in this tragic incident as 38-year-old Stephanie Gill of Smyrna, the victim involved at Smyrna Middle School, and 21-year-old Deanna Dominick-Dalton of Clayton, DE, the victim involved at McLane Gardens. The suspect was identified as Llewellyn Gill of Hartly, DE.
The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit and Smyrna Police Department is continuing their investigation into this suspected murder/suicide incident and there is no concern for public safety. No motive has been established for this incident.
The names of the victims and suspect are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Sergeant Yeich with the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit by calling 302-741-2703 or information may also be provided by calling Delaware crime stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at http://www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com .
