2020 homicide leaves family, police still searching for answers

DOVER, Del. – A young life, abruptly taken too soon, and an investigation that’s still unfolding, five years later.

It was well after 9pm, on January 6th, 2020. 15-year-old Kainami Grant met up with some friends in an alleyway, near Paul Street and Davis Circle in Dover. It was there, in that unlit alleyway, that Lieutenant Christopher Bumgarner said they found Kainami, shot multiple times.

“We know that unfortunately, at his age, he was already involved with some people who were participating in gang-related activity. He had gone there to meet them, and at some point, while there, somebody had shot him,” said Lt. Bumgarner.

Kainami’s homicide came at an unprecedented time for the Dover Police Department.

In the first quarter of the new year, DPD was inundated with other homicide investigations, and the pandemic took a toll.

“Those things culminated in a situation where, for the better part of a year, it was very difficult, if not impossible, to interview people that could have been interviewed or located,” said Lt. Bumgarner.

But now, the department is taking an aggressive approach to track down individuals who know information about Kainami’s death.

“I think that we probably could’ve come to a conclusion a lot quicker, but we’re where we are now because of the events, and we’re going to continue to aggressively investigate this and come to a conclusion,” said Lt. Bumgarner.

He stressed it’s not too late to help bring Kainami’s family closure.

“Just because no witnesses came forward that were there that night doesn’t mean that there aren’t,” said Lt. Bumgarner.

“I believe that there are people involved in this that have spoken to people, and that first-hand information of what those subjects said is very valuable to us and can bring closure to that family,” he added.

If you have any information about Kainami’s murder, you can call the Dover Police Department at 302-736-7130, or submit an anonymous tip via Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-222-8477. A cash reward of up to $1,000 is possible for information leading to an arrest.