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Delaware State Police Identify Man Who Allegedly Killed Maryland Couple In Cemetery Shooting As Sheldon Francis

BEAR, Del. (WJZ) -- Delaware State Police have identified the man they say fatally shot an Elkton, Maryland couple at a veterans cemetery in Bear, Delaware, on Friday morning.

According to police, Sheldon Francis, 29, of Middletown, Delaware, shot the 85-year-old woman and 86-year-old man while they were visiting the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery just before 10:15 a.m. Friday. The woman died at the scene, while the man died the next day at a hospital.

sheldon francis delaware cemetery shooting
A 2009 mugshot of Sheldon Francis, the man police said opened fire at a Delaware veterans cemetery, killing a Maryland couple. Mugshot credit: Delaware State Police. Scene photo credit: CBS Philly

READ MORE: Maryland Couple, 85 And 86, Die In Delaware Cemetery Shooting

Police found Francis dead around six hours after the shooting in a wooded area near the cemetery. Hours earlier, officers and Francis exchanged gunfire in the area.

It's unclear if Francis died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or from a shot during the earlier gunfire, police said.

Police have not yet released the couples' names pending family notification.

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