GRAY, Maine, USA (AP) — A car passenger in Maine shot and killed his mother before firing at passing vehicles, killing another driver and injuring two others, then committed suicide, state police reported on Thursday.
The shootings occurred in the central city of Sabattus, Maine, on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
How did the crimes happen in Maine?
The 29-year-old shooter was a passenger in the vehicle driven by his mother, 47-year-old Christine Smith, from Sabattus, according to a police press release.
The person, identified as James Davis III from Sabattus, killed Smith and got out of the vehicle after it stopped, at which point he began shooting at passing vehicles, the police stated. Katherine Williams, 53, from Sabattus, died and Tyson Turner, 19, from Jay, and David Wilson, 35, from Hartford, were injured, the agency reported.
The police stated that Williams was the only occupant of her vehicle.
Williams, known as Kay, was the kitchen manager at two schools in Litchfield, where she had a remarkable ability to build strong connections with students and staff, stated Superintendent Katherine Grondin in an email.
“Her kindness and dedication left a lasting impact on our school community, and we will deeply miss her. Our hearts are with her family as they face this loss. It has been a difficult day for all of us as we mourn the loss of a valuable and beloved member of our school family,” expressed Grondin.
Smith was declared dead at the scene, it was reported. Williams was taken to Central Maine Medical Center after the shooting and was declared dead.
Turner and Wilson were taken to Central Maine Medical Center and are expected to survive, police reported. They were traveling in separate cars and were the only occupants of their vehicles.
Davis committed suicide after the shootings, police noted.
The police stated that the investigation was ongoing and did not say whether they had determined a motive for the shootings.
“The three deceased individuals were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, where autopsies will be performed,” stated Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine State Police.