Jury convicts Dover of murder, attempted murder in series of shootings

DOVER, Del. – A Dover man has been convicted of murder and attempted murder in the 2023 killing of Frederick Tolson.

On Tuesday, a Superior Court jury in Kent County convicted 22-year-old Jaquan Fletcher of first degree murder, three counts of attempted first degree murder, and four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The judge also separately found Fletcher guilty of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition due to a previous conviction that prohibited him from having either.

Throughout the month of December 2023, Fletcher committed three separate shootings across the Dover area. On December 2nd, he shot a 45-year-old man in the parking lot of 1450 Forrest Avenue, wounding him in his upper body. On December 8th, he shot a 25-year-old man in the area of Village Drive and Quail Hollow Drive, also wounding him in the upper body. The third incident occurred on December 14th, when he shot and killed 42-year-old Frederick Tolson and wounded a 59-year-old man at a residence on Ann Avenue. There is no known connection between Fletcher and any of the victims.

Fletcher is scheduled for sentencing on August 12th and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life plus 52 years, with a maximum sentence of up to four life sentences plus 116 years in prison.