Alexus M. Cumberbatch, 23, was killed in a mass shooting late on July 28, 2020, in the 1100 block of Beech Street in Wilmington, Delaware. Police arrived about 10:55 p.m. and found four people with gunshot wounds; Alexus and 17-year-old Nyzere Seth died at the scene, while two men, 18 and 26, were hospitalized in stable condition. Early police statements did not identify a motive or a suspect description, and investigators described the case as under investigation.

Alexus’s mother, Sharieff Stewart Herring, said Alexus had been walking out of a store and was struck as a bystander in crossfire. Her mother also said Alexus would have graduated from Wilmington University in May 2021 and had wanted to become a police officer. In the months and years after the shooting, no publicly reported arrests or charges were identified; family accounts later said a detective told them an alleged gunman had been killed in a retaliatory shooting. The family created the Alexus M. Cumberbatch Scholarship Fund to honor her and encourage essays on preventing gun violence.

If anyone has information about the July 28, 2020 shooting on Beech Street, contact Wilmington police Detective Mackenzie Kirlin.