Guard Thomas C. McCullough

Thomas C. McCullough

Guard Thomas McCullough was shot and mortally wounded by a prisoner who grabbed another guard's revolver and shot him.

A guard had opened the cell doors to take the inmates to breakfast when the suspect suddenly grabbed his service revolver and shot him twice. Attracted by the shooting, Guard McCullough came rushing to the scene only to fall immediately as the suspect fired point blank at him, the bullet entering his stomach. Other guards who reached the scene shot and mortally wounded the suspect.

Guard McCullough was taken to the Delaware Hospital in Wilmington where he died three days later. The other guard recovered from his wounds.

The New Castle County Workhouse became part of the newly formed Delaware Department of Corrections in 1956.