Justin T. McDermott was an 18-year-old Black male shot on the sidewalk in the 500 block of South Franklin Street, near Kosciuszko Park in Wilmington, Delaware, shortly after midnight on November 9, 2017. Officers who responded about 12:15 a.m. found him with a gunshot wound to the head; he was alive when emergency personnel arrived, was taken to Christiana Hospital, and died later that morning.

Those who knew Justin remembered his humor and energy; his obituary noted he enjoyed making people laugh and especially a family dance. He is survived by his mother, father, sisters, grandparents, a cousin and his dog, Remi. Immediate reports after the shooting gave no motive and did not describe what happened in the moments before the gunfire, whether witnesses saw a shooter leave, whether a vehicle was involved or whether a weapon was recovered.

If anyone has information about Justin’s killing or the events near Kosciuszko Park that night, please share what is known.