Jason Jay Lee Paoletti, 46, of Bear, Delaware, was fatally shot on August 4, 2026, after a confrontation at the intersection of Salem Church Road and Old Baltimore Pike in Newark. Paoletti, an avid motorcyclist and local auto repair shop owner, was returning to his business after lunch and was riding behind a Hyundai Elantra when he moved his motorcycle in front of that car. The Hyundai pulled alongside on his left and a verbal altercation followed. Paoletti got off his motorcycle and reached into a saddlebag; police say the Hyundai’s front-seat passenger, identified as 28-year-old William Simpler Jr., then fired at Paoletti. Witnesses reported Paoletti had multiple gunshot wounds and at least one account says he told helpers he had been shot in the back. He was taken to a hospital and later died.

The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit labeled the episode a road-rage incident, identified the Hyundai and arrested Simpler at his home; he was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and held on $1.5 million cash bond. The killing prompted a large vigil and tributes from the riding community; family members described Paoletti as nonviolent and devoted to family, cars and motorcycles. The homicide unit continued investigating the sequence of events and the roles of the Hyundai’s occupants. Anyone who knew Paoletti or witnessed the confrontation is asked to come forward with information.