Husband and Wife in Their 80s Killed in Veterans’ Cemetery

Husband and Wife in Their 80s Killed in Veterans’ Cemetery
Sheldon C. Francis. Delaware State Police
Jack Phillips
Updated:

A married Maryland couple in their 80s were killed at a cemetery in Delaware by a gunman who was later found dead, according to officials.

Sheldon C. Francis, 29, shot and killed an 85-year-old woman and her 86-year-old husband Friday on the grounds of the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, officials said in a news release.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband later died on Saturday at a local hospital, officials said.

The identities of the couple were not divulged pending notification of their next of kin.

Francis was engaged in a gun battle with police and was later found dead, officials added. No officers were hurt in the shootout, they said.

“Francis was located deceased at approximately 4:00 p.m., on the date of the incident, in a wooded area located just off of Brennan Blvd., in the development of Brennan Estates, which is adjacent to the grounds of the cemetery,” the Delaware State Police wrote in the release. “This wooded area was where an exchange of gunfire between Francis and officers on scene had taken place at approximately 12:08 p.m.”

According to the release, Francis was located and “confirmed to have sustained a gunshot wound.”

“It is undetermined at this time if the wound was self-inflicted or as a result of the exchange of gunfire,” officials said.

The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Det. M. Ryde by calling 302-698-8557.

Other details about the case are not clear.

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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