DOVER— It’s been a year since Tasha Watson and Tyson O. Henry Sr. lost their son.
That happened when gunshots rang out after a party in the 300 block of Simon Circle in Dover.
In remembrance of their son, Tyson Henry Jr., family and friends gathered Monday afternoon at a memorial service. The memorial was held in front of the house where the party was held.
Mr. Henry, 24, from New Castle, had been pronounced dead at Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital in Dover last Aug. 24. His death was a result of a gunshot wound to his lower body.
A 25-year-old woman from Dover was also shot as the party ended, but she survived.
Tasha Watson and Tyson O. Henry Sr. stand with photographs memorializing their son, Tyson Omar Henry Jr., on Monday, one year after his death from a shooting in Dover. (Delaware State News photo by Arshon Howard)
No arrests have been made in four homicides in the last year in Dover.
Even though this case continues to remain unsolved, Ms. Watson hopes to continue to seek justice for her son’s death.
“He was an innocent bystander,” Ms. Watson said. “He was a father, brother, cousin and a great friend to all that knew him.
“We are seeking justice. No one has come forward. Only two people came forward and said something, but that wasn’t enough for any leads.”
Dover Police Cpl. Anthony Toto and Sgt. Matthew Knight, who were the officers on the scene during the incident, said no new information has come forward since the shooting. They vowed to continue investigating.
“We were out there when it happened,” Cpl. Toto said. “I told the family that I will never quit on their son and I will continue to investigate it until we bring justice to the family and make an arrest.”
This past weekend, city officials joined residents as they walked around Lincoln Park and the Dover Housing Authority’s Simon Circle neighborhood. They observed problems that ranged from broken curbs, sinking streets and violence within the communities.
“They were concerned about gangs,” said 4th District Councilman Roy Sudler Jr. “They spoke about illegal and criminal activities in the communities.
“People have had bullets fly through their house windows or have found bullets in their cars.
DOVER HOMICIDES
Listed are homicides in Dover in the past year:
2014
• On Aug. 11, a 20-year-old man died from injuries suffered in a July 23 stabbing incident in the unit block of South New Street. Two men were later arrested.
Police said it was Dover’s first homicide since Feb. 1, 2013, and that shooting of an 18-year-old Dover man at Whatcoat Village Apartments on Whatcoat Lane later brought a conviction.
• An Aug. 24 homicide on South Kirkwood Street that killed a 33-year-old New Jersey was later ruled an act of self-defense by the Dover Police Department.
• On Aug. 24, a 24-year-old man was killed and a 25-year-old woman injured during a post-party shooting in the 300 block of Simon Circle, police said. The investigation remains open, according to authorities.
2015
• On Jan. 25, the death of an 18-year-old Dover man was deemed a homicide after he was found lying next to railroad tracks south of Walker Road. He had been shot.
• On April 26, a 29-year-old male died of a single gun shot in the area of the unit block of North New Street.
• On April 30, a 19-year-old man was shot and killed in a Pine Grove Apartments parking lot at 255 Webbs Lane. Two men were later arrested.
• On May 13, a 19-year-old Smyrna man died after being shot on Harmony Lane in the Walker Woods development. Two men were arrested within days.
• On July 13, a 35-year-old man was shot to death in the 900 block of West North New Street at approximately 2:17 a.m.
“We plan to take a look at all of their concerns that they had and take action,” he Sudler added.
“We’re not going to let this go undone. We’re going to work together and follow through and get the job done.”
Ms. Watson said they are hoping to raise $20,000 through their GoFundMe account, which will be used as reward money.
The Delaware Crime Stoppers donated $1,000 to the family to help with the reward.
“The Dover Police has been great to us,” Ms. Watson said. “They’re helping us any way that they can. I can’t think Diane Glenn enough for her help.”
Ms. Glenn serves as the Dover Police Department’s Victim Services Coordinator, which provides crime victims with professional assistance and support.
She believes people’s unwillingness to speak with the police is a reason why so many cases continue to go unsolved.
“Crime has risen all over,” Ms. Glenn said. “It’s coming to Dover. “We don’t have people who want to come forward. I worked with this family since day one.
“They keep his memory alive and they let us know that they have not forgotten him. It’s important for them continue to honor him for his memory and his children. That’s important because maybe someone would come out and say something.”
That’s all that Ms. Watson wants.
“We need closure,” Ms. Watson said. “We just want justice. It’s just unfair. We’re still crushed.”
Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to contact police at (302) 736-7111.
Tips also may be submitted anonymously through Delaware Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards, at (800) TIP-3333 or www.tipsubmit.com.