A Delaware man was shot in the leg on Hickory Lane early Friday afternoon, and two men were later arrested in connection with the shooting, according to Delaware police.
William J. Sims, 39, of 286 Hickory Lane, was shot outside his home Friday at 12:32 p.m., police say.
William D. Lassiter, 34, of Columbus, was charged with aggravated robbery and felonious assault in connection with the shooting Friday night.
Immediately after the shooting, a woman driving north on Grandview Avenue turned right onto Pennsylvania Avenue and saw Sims lying in the road, police said. The woman parked her car in the road and called police.
Sims was transported to Grant Medical Center. Police said Friday night that he was still in the hospital.
Police said Sims was shot in the leg and his injuries were not life-threatening.
The suspects left the shooting scene in a vehicle, police said, and were later stopped on Interstate 71 in the Polaris area. Police said Friday afternoon that they had detained two men in connection with the crime.
Police said Lassiter was in the Delaware County Jail Friday night, awaiting his arraignment Monday morning in Delaware Municipal Court.
The second man arrested was released and no charges were filed against him, police said. They declined to provide his name to The Gazette Friday evening.
Police report the investigation is ongoing.
Because the shooting scene is just blocks away from both Carlisle Elementary School and Dempsey Middle School, Delaware City Schools officials placed both schools on lockdown as a precaution when they learned of the shooting but had lifted the lockdown by 2 p.m. when they learned the suspects had fled the area.
School officials said the lockdown lasted about 90 minutes. Outside doors were locked but classes continued inside as usual.
“Please know that student safety is a top priority at Dempsey,” Dempsey Principal Julie German said in an email to parents Friday.
Police said both schools dismissed Friday normally.
