Delaware

Study: Young Black men in Wilmington say they can’t survive without a firearm

Published

1 year ago

December 22, 2024

Study: Young Black men in Wilmington say they can’t survive without a firearm

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A new study published in the Delaware Journal of Public Health offers a stark glimpse into the experiences and perceptions of young African American men living in communities often associated with violence.

The research, conducted by scholars from Texas Southern University, Delaware State University, Coppin State University, Jackson State University, and Thurgood Marshall College, interviewed 400 young men between the ages of 15 and 24 who either owned or recently owned a firearm. Of the total group, about 100 participants were from Wilmington, Del.; the others were from Baltimore; Jackson, Miss.; and Houston.

The study — titled “Understanding the Perception of Place and Its Impact on Community Violence” — revealed that many participants felt compelled to carry firearms for safety, often after witnessing or experiencing violence in their neighborhoods. In Wilmington, 86% of respondents described the city negatively, with 74% using only negative terms.

Their descriptions included words like “murder town,” “treacherous,” “crazy,” “chaotic,” and “a war zone.” A persistent sense of threat pervaded their understanding of the city around them.

Safety concerns drove most participants to arm themselves.

According to the study, young men often encountered firearms at an early age — sometimes as young as 10 — and many had family members or close friends who introduced them to guns. The findings indicate that these decisions are not made lightly, nor in isolation. Social media pressures, limited economic opportunities, limited role models, and easy access to firearms shaped a landscape where carrying a gun seemed logical, even necessary, to the young men for personal protection.

Nurturing hope among young people

These research findings resonate with ongoing efforts at One Village Alliance, a Wilmington nonprofit seeking to nurture young people in a city often misunderstood by outsiders. One evening at the organization’s location on West 31st and Market streets, children gathered in a small kitchen to fill plastic bags with healthy snacks. The exercise, though seemingly simple, has a clear purpose: to instill good nutritional habits and provide a sense of stability. The community around them is sometimes referred to as a food desert, making nutritious food scarce.

By taking part in such activities, the children learn new skills and build confidence. “Can I get this one?” one child asked, eager to take part. Here, learning about healthy eating serves as an introduction to broader life skills that can help counter the environmental factors the study highlights.

The nonprofit’s after-school enrichment programs aim to reinforce positive experiences and set children on a path toward excellence through education, mentorship, and personal development. It offers a safe space and an alternative to the streets. This approach is informed by staff members who know the stakes all too well.

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Delaware

Delaware state police trooper killed in active shooter incident at DMV facility; suspect also dead

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Delaware state police trooper killed in active shooter incident at DMV facility; suspect also dead

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

Delaware state police say a trooper was killed in what officials said was an active shooter situation at a DMV facility in New Castle on Tuesday afternoon.

The suspect in this incident is also dead, Gov. Matt Meyer said.

State police said they are “are continuing to assess additional injuries.” There is no official word yet on the exact number of people injured.

Police say the active shooter incident is now over.

The incident happened around 2 p.m. at the facility on Hessler Boulevard.

No further details have been made available.

Police are asking residents to avoid the area.

Stay with Action News and 6abc.com as this story develops.

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Delaware

2 hurt after car crashes into building in Talleyville, Delaware

Published

13 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

2 hurt after car crashes into building in Talleyville, Delaware

Two people were hurt after a car crashed into a building in Talleyville, Delaware, Monday morning.

The incident occurred shortly before 11 a.m. along the 100 block of Brandywine Boulevard. Police said a woman was driving a light-colored vehicle when she somehow lost control and crashed through the first floor of a realty company.

A fire station is located across the street from where the crash occurred. Firefighters responded in less than a minute and the driver as well as another person were both taken to the hospital. Investigators told NBC10 both victims suffered minor injuries and are expected to be OK.

Crews removed the vehicle and boarded up the damaged building. They continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

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Delaware

Delaware-based dark money group ‘Alabama Patients First’ unleashes TV, digital attack on Blue Cross Blue Shield

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Delaware-based dark money group ‘Alabama Patients First’ unleashes TV, digital attack on Blue Cross Blue Shield

A brand-new, out-of-state dark-money group launched an attack on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama over the past week, and has already invested over $320,000 in negative television advertising alone.

During some of this weekend’s largest SEC football matchups, including Alabama vs. Oklahoma, the group ran a shock-style message that is now being pushed to Alabama voters more aggressively than any political campaign could afford to spend on television at this point in the 2026 election cycle.

According to business filings, “Alabama Patients First LLC” was formed in Delaware on December 11. The state is known for its Teflon business privacy laws. LLCs are not required to publicly list their ownership or members, making it an ideal vehicle for dark money to reach its target.

Since its formation, the group has been busy in Alabama.

Using a “Paid for by Alabama Patients First” disclaimer, the group aired television advertisements, launched a website, and directed SMS marketing campaigns directly to voters, igniting a costly media attack against the state’s leading insurer.

“They make a killing off telling you ‘No.’ Blue Cross Blue Shield: ‘No.’ That’s Blue Cross “B*******,” the ad says.

A station-by-station breakdown of the Alabama Patients First TV buy across multiple Montgomery-area outlets, including WSFA, WAKA, WCOV-TV, WNCF, and others, totals $226,071.

The group also spent $102,000 across Birmingham, Huntsville, and Dothan media markets.

The buy spans six weekends, ranging from its first airing on December 14, with a much smaller spend scheduled after January 1, to a wind-down on January 18, 2026.

By comparison, in the Montgomery media market, the group spent $211,633 in December and just $14,438 in January.

In total, the out-of-state group has spent at least $328,071 on pushing the TV spot to Alabama residents.

Alabama Patients First’s TV spend isn’t the whole tab, either. The professional fees required to deploy such an operation likely reach into the millions – and the timing is striking.

The attack on Alabama began the same week that Jackson Hospital and Clinic, Inc. initiated a high-visibility litigation campaign against BCBS of Alabama.

Jackson Hospital and its lender, Atlanta-based Jackson Investment Group, are on the clock for a December 31, 2025 bankruptcy court deadline to secure $100 million in public funding, which would help satisfy a debtor-in-possession (DIP) agreement the two signed earlier this year.

Yellowhammer News requested information from officials at Jackson Investment Group, Jackson Healthcare, and Jackson Hospital to confirm or deny a connection between the hospital’s lending relationship and the creation of Alabama Patients First.

At the time of publication, those requests went unanswered.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama did respond to the negative ad blitz in a statement on Monday afternoon.

“The ads are an intentional misrepresentation of how we do business,” Sophie Martin, Director of Corporate Communications for BCBS of Alabama, said.
“Based on the timing of the ads, we believe they are nothing more than an improper attempt by Jackson’s investor-lender to improperly influence litigation.”