MURDER USA Destry Jones and Damien Hinson were charged with homicide in the shooting death of a college student during gang gunfire, also attempted murder of two on-campus of Delaware State University

MURDER USA Destry Jones and Damien Hinson were charged with homicide in the shooting death of a college student during gang gunfire, also attempted murder of two on-campus of Delaware State University

DOVER, DEL. – A college coed was killed, and two local hoodlums from Dover are now sitting behind bars charged with her murder. The Dover Police Department announced the arrest of Destry Jones, 20, and Damien Hinson, 18, both of Dover, for the murder of Camay Mitchell De Silva.

The Dover Police Chief stated on Monday, May 6, 2024, that Jones and Hinson are also charged with the attempted murder of a 20-year-old male and a 21-year-old male, also from Dover.  For the record, Jones and Hinson are not enrolled as students at Delaware State University; they have no affiliation with the school.

“As a matter of additional background, the Dover Police Department has been collaborating with the Delaware State University PD with added safety patrols at nighttime on weekends.

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, at 1:40 a.m., the assigned Dover PD team heard what they believed to be shots fired in the area of Gate 3 along College Road and responded to investigate.

At nearly the same time, the Delaware State University Police Department received a report of shots fired on the grounds of the Main Campus.  This phoned-in report stated the shots were associated with a physical fight in the area of the Tubman-Laws dormitory, with the participants fleeing across College Road toward parking lot 16.  Neither agency located a fight, nor a crime scene, based on first available information.

After a separate call was made to report a female on the ground near the Warren-Franklin dormitory, Officers responded and located Camay suffering from a gunshot wound to her head.  Her body was situated to the north of the breezeway that connects the east and west sections of that dorm.  Warren-Franklin dormitory is located in the immediate vicinity of Tubman-Laws dormitory.

Paramedics were immediately called, and Camay was transported to Bayhealth Kent Campus for treatment.  Tragically, she died from the injuries sustained during this incident.

As we have previously released, Miss De Silva was not involved in this altercation and we do not believe she was the intended target of the gunfire which originated from the breezeway area.

In continued collaboration, it was determined that Dover PD would take the lead in this investigation with DSUPD and many of our other law enforcement partners in support.  Our investigation involved several witness interviews, extensive reviews of surveillance video, and forensic crime scene examinations. 

Investigators ultimately learned that Mr. Jones and Mr. Hinson were part of a group that participated in the previously described physical altercation outside the Tubman Laws building with the previously noted 20 and 21-year-old males before any shots were fired.

It was also established that Jones and Hinson disengaged from the physical fight and took part in firing the shots that claimed the life of Miss De Silva.  Detectives obtained warrants for Mr. Jones and Mr. Hinson and began looking for them.

On May 2nd, 2024, Jones was arrested at an apartment in the 1400 block of Prospect Place, in Brooklyn, New York.  The apprehension was conducted by the U.S. Marshals New York, New Jersey Regional Task Force Brooklyn Division, the New York City Police Department, and Detectives from Dover Police.

Later that same day, Hinson was also taken into custody in the parking lot of Gateway West Shopping Center, located at 1030 Forrest Avenue here in Dover, by the US Marshals First State Fugitive Task Force, Dover Police Drugs, Vice and Organized Crime Unit, Dover Police S.O.R.T and Delaware Probation and Parole.

Jones is being held in New York awaiting extradition on the following charges:

• 1 count of Murder in the First Degree
• 2 Counts of Attempted Murder in the First Degree
• 1 Count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
• 1 Count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
• 1 Count of Conspiracy in the First Degree

Hinson was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on cash bail exceeding 3 million dollars on the following charges:

• 1 count of Murder in the First Degree
• 2 Counts of Attempted Murder in the First Degree
• 1 Count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
• 1 Count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
• 1 Count of Conspiracy in the First Degree”

FUNDRAISER FOR FAMILY OF SLAIN STUDENT CLOSED AFTER GREAT SUPPORT

Hello, my name is Acquania, and I am raising funds for the Mitchell & De Silva families. Camay Mitchell De Silva was a young lady who had a contagious smile and was a source of joy for everyone around her. She was an intelligent and beautiful person who touched the lives of everyone who knew her.

Camay graduated from Concord High School in 2023 with a 3.0 GPA and had a bright future ahead of her. She was a Computer Science major who aspired to work in cybersecurity. She spent her first semester at Morgan State University, and she had plans to attend Delaware State University in the Fall of 2024.

Unfortunately, Camay’s life was tragically taken from her when she was hit by a stray bullet that took her life. She was on the Delaware State University campus, visiting her best friend when the incident occurred. The loss of Camay has been devastating for her family and friends, and we are raising funds to support them during this difficult time.