In the pre-dawn hours of January 9, 2026, gunfire in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood ended the life of 19-year-old Melvin Njungwa. Officers found him suffering from a gunshot wound in the 200 block of South Claymont Street at about 3:31 a.m.; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The city’s first homicide of 2026 has left family and neighbors grieving.

Investigators say the shooting may have stemmed from a car break-in that escalated into a gunfight, though details of what led directly to the shooting remain under investigation. No suspects or arrests have been announced. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Derek Haines at 576-3656.

Did anyone in Southbridge see or hear anything that night that could help the investigation?