Masked Men With Apparent Weapons Alarm Delaware Neighborhood

Residents in a New Castle, Delaware, neighborhood were left shaken after surveillance cameras captured at least two masked men going door to door late Friday night, including one person who appeared to be carrying a rifle, according to police.

The New Castle County Police Department released images from the incident as investigators work to identify the people involved. One image shows a man at a front door wearing a tactical-style vest and holding what appears to be a rifle. Another image shows a second person approaching a home while wearing a black vest and a mask.

Police said officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Canvasback Drive in the Mallard Pointe neighborhood around 10:50 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of a suspicious person. When officers arrived, residents told them a man wearing a black hockey-style mask and a tactical-style vest had approached homes while carrying what looked like a rifle.

According to investigators, the man allegedly knocked on doors and then ran away. Authorities also said four men were seen traveling eastbound on Mallard Road, with two on bicycles and two on foot. That detail has become part of the broader investigation as police try to determine how many people may have been involved and what exactly they were doing in the area.

Officers, along with a K-9 unit, searched the neighborhood and nearby properties after the report came in. Despite those efforts, police said they were unable to locate the individuals.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the apparent weapons seen during the incident were real firearms. However, police said they believe the weapons may have been airsoft-style guns. Even so, the sight of masked individuals approaching homes at night while carrying what appeared to be weapons has raised understandable concern among residents.

The release of surveillance images suggests investigators are relying heavily on community assistance to move the case forward. In incidents like this, home security footage can be especially valuable in helping police establish a timeline, identify clothing or movement patterns, and determine whether the same people were seen elsewhere in the neighborhood before or after the reported door-knocking.

Police ask residents to come forward

New Castle County Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact authorities. Investigators are also asking residents in the surrounding area to review any home security or doorbell camera footage that may have captured the group.

Anyone with relevant information is asked to call 911 or the department’s non-emergency number at 302-573-2800.

For residents of Mallard Pointe and nearby areas, the incident serves as a reminder to remain alert, report suspicious activity promptly, and preserve any video evidence that could assist investigators. Police have not announced any arrests, and no further official details about the identities or motives of the individuals had been released.

As the investigation continues, authorities appear focused on piecing together the movements of the masked men and determining whether the apparent weapons posed a genuine threat. Until that is resolved, the late-night visits have left many in the neighborhood on edge and searching for answers.