In the span of less than two weeks since Lewiston city officials and the Androscoggin County district attorney announced their plans to address a recent surge of gun violence incidents in the city, Lewiston Police have responded to two shootings which are still under active investigation.
On the evening of Sept. 3, Lewiston Police responded to a report from a driver who said that his vehicle had been struck by gunfire while dropping off a friend on Pierce Street.
At the scene, police found that a bullet had penetrated and shattered the driver’s side rear passenger window and exited the front passenger side window of the car.
Police also found a shell casing in the area of 11 Pierce St.
In a press release, Lewiston Police indicated that several males were caught on surveillance footage fleeing the scene following the shooting.
Police said that the Sept. 3 shooting remains under active investigation as they speak with witnesses and review the surveillance footage.
On Monday afternoon, Lewiston Police responded to a report of a shooting on Knox Street.
Police say that just before 4 p.m. on Monday, a Lewiston Police patrol officer heard gunfire in the rear of 66 Knox St.
The patrol officer was reportedly “confronted by several armed suspects” and found one injured male who had been struck by gunfire.
The armed suspects fled the scene and were later detained by an off-duty officer in the area, police said.
The injured male was transported to the Central Maine Medical Center, and is in stable condition. The investigation into this shooting also remains active.
At a press conference held at Lewiston City Hall on Thursday, Aug. 29, Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre said that over the past eight months the city has seen 27 “shots fired incidents.”
Chief St. Pierre and District Attorney Neil McLean said that a lack of resources and a backlog of cases have exacerbated the problem, a complaint that has also frequently been made in Cumberland County.
To combat the uptick in gun violence, St. Pierre said that his department will be requesting additional funding from the Lewiston City Council for three months of overtime pay in order to increase police presence throughout the city.
St. Pierre said Lewiston Police will also be seeking federal support from the U.S. Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security to assist in their gun violence investigations.
Additionally, the police chief said that as part of their plan to address the shootings, the city plans to hold regular meetings with immigrant and refugee groups based in the area , in order to “build trust” between police and the local youth.
Although the law enforcement officials did not identify any individuals or groups as primarily responsible for the uptick in gun violence, the police chief did hint that his department was mostly interacting with members of immigrant communities.
“The city will take a more active role in working with organizations who work with youth, immigrant[s], refugees, and first generation Americans,” the police chief said.
District Attorney McLean told reporters during the press conference that his office and the city has urged State Legislature to allocate additional funding to address a shortage of prosecutors in Androscoggin County.
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