LEWISTON, Maine — Lewiston police shut down a section of Pine Street near Howard Street Thursday evening after residents reported hearing at least two shots fired, prompting officers to canvas for evidence and witnesses as investigators worked to determine what happened.
Lewiston police responded at about 6:30 p.m., cordoning off the area while searching for shell casings and interviewing people nearby. Witnesses also reported hearing screaming around the same time, though authorities had not said whether that was connected to the gunfire. As of 7 p.m., police said no injuries had been confirmed.
A city divided: council rushes emergency ICE ordinance, then gunfire returns
The shooting report comes just days after Lewiston’s mayor and city council pushed through a 60-day emergency ordinance aimed at restricting city employees, including police, from using city resources to assist federal civil immigration enforcement. The measure passed on a 5–2 vote and took effect immediately.
Supporters of the ordinance argued it was needed to protect community trust and prevent local government from being pulled into federal immigration work. Opponents warned it was the wrong signal at the wrong time, especially amid ongoing concerns about violence and disorder downtown. City Councilor Bret Martel, said on Facebook, “It’s a good thing we passed an emergency ordinance preventing federal law enforcement from being welcomed or assisted in our community. Seems to be working out well.” Sarcastically.
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The “ICE presence” rumor — and what can actually be said
In the hours after Thursday night’s reports, some residents on social media pointed to a familiar narrative: that gunfire seemed to cool during a period of widely discussed federal immigration enforcement activity, and that incidents are now resurging after the council’s emergency ordinance. There’s no official data establishing that ICE activity caused shootings to drop,or that the new ordinance caused them to rise, but the perception has become part of the city’s political argument over public safety.
What is verifiable is that Lewiston leaders have been publicly grappling with the fallout and community reaction to reports of heightened ICE activity this winter, even as the city debates where local government’s role begins and ends.
What happens next
Police have not identified suspects or announced arrests connected to Thursday night’s “shots fired” call. The investigation was ongoing as of the last public update.
