Dupree Burroughs was 31 when he was shot while working on a natural-gas main in the 1800 block of West Second Street in Wilmington on July 22, 2019. Employed by a contractor for Delmarva Power and living in Smyrna, he and a coworker were installing service lines when an unidentified shooter opened fire around 1:30 p.m. Burroughs was struck numerous times and his coworker was also wounded; police recovered at least 10 spent cartridge casings and a witness recalled hearing as many as 20 shots. Burroughs died of his wounds on July 24 at Christiana Hospital.

Burroughs had been released from prison in 2018 after a lengthy sentence for a 2008 shooting and was working to support his children. Authorities did not publicly say whether that past was connected to the killing, and no suspect description, motive, or arrest has been announced. The Wilmington Police Department’s Cold Case Unit later continued to seek tips. If anyone has information about the shooting at the West Second Street work site, please share what you know with investigators.