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The Wilmington Police Department is sharing the below release, issued today by the Delaware Department of Justice, regarding a life sentence in connection with a 2023 fatal shooting incident:

DOJ secures life plus ten years for deadly gun offender  

A Wilmington man has been sentenced to life plus ten years in prison for convictions stemming from the fatal shooting of Thaddeus Blackman in 2023.  

On August 18, Kevin Berry, 34, was sentenced to life plus an additional 10 years in prison for convictions of Murder First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. The convictions stem from the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Thaddeus Blackman in Wilmington’s Brandywine Village neighborhood.  

“There is no question. If you pick up a gun to harm another, you will pay the price. This loss of life, like so many before it, was both utterly tragic and entirely unnecessary” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “I am grateful to our team and to our partners at the Wilmington Police Department for their hard work in bringing this defendant to justice- may it bring some respite to the victim’s loved ones.” 

“I continue to be proud of the hard work of our police officers and investigators, who work tirelessly to deliver justice for victims of crime and their families,” said Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos. “The defendant in this case will spend the rest of his life in prison thanks to the efforts of our detectives and our partners in the Delaware Department of Justice.” 

On May 9, 2023, Kevin Berry approached Thaddeus Blackman near the intersection of Gordon Street and North Market Street in Wilmington and engaged in a verbal altercation. Berry produced a gun and shot Blackman three times. Blackman was transported to Christiana Hospital where he died of his wounds.   

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