CAMDEN, DE - A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty to multiple charges for a shooting at a Kent County Redner’s grocery store in 2023.
Jay’Mere Matthews, 21, turned himself in to police after shooting an unarmed Redner’s employee on South DuPont Highway in August 2023. The victim of the shooting was taken to a nearby hospital and was listed in stable condition.
In December of 2023, prosecutors say Matthews also assaulted a correction officer while he was incarcerated for the shooting.
Initially charged with attempted murder and an assortment of other counts, Matthews pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in relation to the shooting. He also pleaded guilty to second-degree assault of a correction officer.
On May 27, 2025, Matthews was sentenced 11 years followed by probation, according to Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings’ office..
“The shooting carried out by Matthews was a deeply heinous act with no regard whatsoever for the safety of others. I am grateful for this sentencing,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “It should also be said that we know all too well in this state the risks that correction officers face on a daily basis; this sentencing makes clear that we will not tolerate any threats to their safety.”
Jennings’ office says Matthews will receive a mental health evaluation and may spend part of his sentence at the Delaware Psychiatric Center before he is transferred to the Department of Correction.