What to Know
- Towne Point Elementary School in Dover, Delaware, reopened Thursday after closing Wednesday out of "caution."
- Rodney West, a school custodian, is charged with killing Derrick Combs on Tuesday night on the property of Towne Point Elementary.
- Teachers and students weren't at the school at the time. Superintendent Dr. Dan Shelton called the shooting a "domestic incident."
A day after a Delaware elementary school closed "in the spirit of utmost caution" after a man was shot and killed on school grounds, a school employee is accused of murder.
Dover police say 53-year-old Rodney West, a school custodian, is charged with killing 39-year-old Derrick Combs on Tuesday night on the property of Towne Point Elementary School on Buckson Drive.
Authorities said Thursday that West was arrested by U.S. marshals in Montgomery County, Maryland, and is awaiting extradition to Delaware. West is charged with murder, possession of a firearm during a felony, and possession of a firearm in a school zone. It was not immediately clear whether he has a lawyer.
Capital School District Superintendent Dan Shelton called the shooting a domestic incident. Police said no students were at the school at the time of the shooting.
“Dover Police Department works very closely with the Capital School District in incidents involving our schools,” Shelton said Wednesday. “We have no reason to believe that there is currently any potential threat against any of our students or staff.”
The school was closed Wednesday and reopened Thursday.
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“As you know, the Capital School District takes student and staff safety very seriously and are saddened by the unfortunate events that may take place in our neighborhoods,” Shelton said.
