(Claymont, DE 19703) On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 03:14 a.m., patrol officers were dispatched to the unit block of Colby Avenue – Knollwood in reference to reports of shots fired. Officers arrived on the scene and located a 32-year-old male who had been struck by gunfire in his upper body. The victim was transported to Christiana Hospital where he was listed in stable condition. Detectives were later called to the scene to assume the investigation.
Following a thorough investigation, detectives identified two suspects as 20-year-old Christopher Montgomery of Claymont and 22-year-old James Morgan of Wilmington. On November 13, 2023, James Morgan was taken into custody and a search warrant was executed in the 800 block of Maryland Avenue – Wilmington. Montgomery was located in Claymont on February 8, 2024, with the assistance of the Special Investigations Squad and the United States Marshals Task Force. Montgomery was taken into custody after he attempted to flee through a bedroom window. During a search of the bedroom, detectives located a loaded handgun.
James Morgan was charged with one felony count of assault in the first degree, one felony count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and one felony count of conspiracy in the second degree. He was arraigned by New Castle County Superior Court and held in lieu of $62,000 cash bail.
Christopher Montgomery was charged with one felony count of assault in the first degree, one felony count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two felony counts of possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, and one felony count of conspiracy in the second degree. He was arraigned by the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas and held in lieu of $122,000 cash bail.
Both suspects were also linked to a separate motor vehicle theft investigation that occurred in New Castle. They were charged with one felony count of theft, one felony count of theft of a motor vehicle, one felony count of conspiracy in the second degree, and multiple misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a payment card.
Montgomery, Christopher
Morgan, James
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