Woman killed in Wilmington shooting Sunday night remembered as 'really nice'

Neighbors of a 20-year-old woman who was fatally shot in Wilmington's Brandywine Village neighborhood Sunday night called her "really nice," adding that they were surprised and saddened by her death.

Darnashia Green, who neighbors said went by "Nae Nae," was shot just before 10 p.m. near North Tatnall and West 25th streets. By Monday afternoon, several balloons had been tied to a telephone pole next to where she was shot.

Dark-red blood on the sidewalk also indicated where Green fell after being struck by bullets. Neighbors who spoke to Delaware Online/The News Journal said the young woman was shot in the head. They did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation.

Eleven chalk circles, which likely marked where bullet casings fell, could be seen on North Tatnall Street about 150 feet from where Green was shot. Neighbors say given the distance between where the shell casings landed and where she was gunned down, they don't believe a handgun was used in the shooting.

One neighbor said he believed an assault weapon was used and that the shooters(s) were not firing at close range.

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He also said a bullet went through the passenger side of a neighbor's car and came out the other side of the car, shattering the glass. A large amount of green glass remained on the street and sidewalk Monday afternoon.

Neighbors said Green had lived on North Tatnall Street for several years. They said she worked a lot and had returned home from a shift about 30 minutes before she was killed.

One man said he chatted with her, asking her why she was out. Green replied that she had bought her niece or nephew a present and had to walk down the block to take it to them, he said.

The neighbor said he heard the gunshots from inside his home not long after speaking with her. They were so loud, he said, that it sounded like the shooters were right outside his house.

He added that he was surprised that the shooting occurred, given the street has gotten "a lot better" in recent years. Shootings used to be more typical, he said, but new people have moved into the neighborhood and the houses are now well-kept.

Green is the first woman to be killed by gunfire in the city this year, according to Delaware Online/The News Journal's shooting database.

So far this year, three women have been shot in the city, according to Delaware Online/News Journal data.

The last time a woman was killed by gunfire in Wilmington was on Nov. 14, when 24-year-old Shardae Fuller was fatally shot in Hedgeville. Last year saw a spike in women being struck by gunfire, with 31 wounded, six fatally.

Reporter Esteban Parra contributed to this story.

Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington shooting: Young woman killed near playground Sunday night