Two men have been sentenced for their involvement in a series of 2019 shootings, one of which led to the death of a Wilmington man. 

Dion Young, 23, of New Castle County and Ameer Dunn, 23, of Harris County, Texas, were sentenced on February 19 to 13 years and 10 years in prison, respectively. The sentence follows their convictions earlier this year on a host of charges: Young had pled guilty to charges of Manslaughter, three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Attempted Assault First Degree, two counts of Conspiracy Second Degree, Reckless Endangering First Degree, and Assault Second Degree; Dunn had pled guilty to Manslaughter, two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Attempted Assault Second Degree, and Conspiracy First Degree.  

“In his last moments on earth, James Pinkett put himself in front of children to protect them from the defendants’ gunfire – his heroic actions doubtlessly saved lives,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “The DOJ trial team and Wilmington Police Department deserve plaudits for their work in securing this result, and I can only hope that it helps brings some closure to his family.” 

On December 24, 2019, Young and a second shooter fired gunshots through the door of a Wilmington convenience store and injured a customer inside. Two days later, Young and a second shooter fired a total of eight shots in the vicinity of East 9th and Lombard Streets in Wilmington; there were no identifiable victims. On December 28, Young and Dunn fired multiple shots from a moving vehicle as it drove down the 1300 block of East 29th Street in Wilmington. One of those shots struck James Pinkett, who was shielding nearby children from the gunfire, in the back, killing him. Young and Dunn were subsequently indicted by a grand jury for the killing in December 2024. 

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