A Lewiston resident says a bullet struck his garage during a shooting Sunday evening near Walnut and Bradley streets, the latest in a string of gun-related incidents involving juveniles that has left many residents questioning whether city leaders and the state’s juvenile justice system are adequately addressing the growing public safety crisis.
Dylan Newell described the frightening incident in a social media post Sunday night, saying his home security camera captured an individual near his truck around 5 p.m. who appeared to be armed.
According to Newell, the individual then ran through his backyard, broke through a fence, and moments later multiple gunshots were heard.
After reviewing the footage, Newell said he immediately forwarded the video to the Lewiston Police Department and shared it with a city councilor in an effort to ensure city officials were aware of the situation.
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Police responded quickly, Newell said, deploying multiple officers, K-9 units, detectives, and crime scene investigators to the neighborhood. A portion of his property was taped off while investigators searched for evidence.
According to Newell, shell casings were recovered nearby and investigators later removed a bullet from his garage.
“That bullet was at about head height,” Newell wrote.
“Based on the apparent direction of travel, thank God my garage was there to stop it.”
Newell said children were outside in the neighborhood at the time of the shooting.
Photographs from the scene showed Lewiston police officers and Criminal Investigation Division detectives searching the area around Walnut, Bradley, and Jefferson streets for shell casings and additional evidence following reports of multiple shots fired shortly before 5 p.m.
While praising the Lewiston Police Department’s response, Newell said residents are growing increasingly frustrated with what they see as a continuing pattern of violence.
“This is not normal,” he wrote. “Families should not have to worry about bullets hitting their homes, garages, vehicles, or children playing outside.”
The incident is the latest in a troubling series of shootings and firearms-related incidents that have increasingly involved juveniles and young adults in Lewiston.
Earlier this month, Lewiston police arrested a 17-year-old after a curfew stop led to the recovery of a loaded .45-caliber handgun. Just days later, another juvenile was arrested after police recovered two loaded handguns during an investigation that also resulted in a conspiracy to commit murder charge.
In May, a 14-year-old was shot in the leg on Avon Street. Days later, groups exchanged gunfire near Ash and Howe streets. Police have repeatedly reported that many of the recent shootings and firearms incidents in the city involve juveniles.
During a recent interview with The Maine Wire, Lewiston Police Chief Carly Conley revealed that the city had experienced 15 shootings so far this year, with nine involving juveniles.
Those statistics were front and center during a community forum on gun violence held earlier this month at Calvary Chapel in Lewiston. The event drew residents, law enforcement officials, educators, elected officials, and community leaders who spent hours discussing illegal firearms, gang activity, curfew enforcement, parental accountability, and the growing number of youth-involved shootings.
One of the recurring concerns raised during the discussion was what many residents and law enforcement officials describe as a “revolving door” within the juvenile justice system.
Police continue to recover firearms and make arrests, but many residents have become increasingly frustrated by what they view as a lack of meaningful consequences for repeat juvenile offenders.
In recent weeks alone, several juveniles arrested in connection with firearms and violent crime investigations were already known to law enforcement through previous encounters.
Critics argue that while police officers are doing their jobs by investigating shootings and arresting offenders, the courts and juvenile justice system often release those same individuals back into the community pending further proceedings.
The result, they say, is that many neighborhoods continue to experience the same cycle of violence involving the same small group of repeat offenders.
Chief Conley has previously acknowledged the challenge, describing aspects of the juvenile justice system as a revolving door in which police can make arrests but have little control over what happens once offenders enter the court system.
For many residents, Sunday’s shooting serves as another example of that larger problem.
Newell used his post to call for a broader public discussion about public safety and accountability in Lewiston.
“At this point, I believe the Mayor and City Council should hold a special public hearing dedicated to public safety and the issues that continue to impact neighborhoods across Lewiston,” he wrote.
“This is not about politics. It is about public safety and accountability.”
The call for action comes as some residents have criticized city leadership for what they view as a lack of urgency in addressing the violence.
Notably absent from the recent community forum on gun violence was Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline. While residents, police officials, educators, city councilors, and community leaders gathered to discuss one of the city’s most pressing public safety issues, the mayor did not attend the event.
Critics have also pointed to the relative silence from city leadership following a number of recent shootings, arguing that residents deserve more direct communication regarding what steps are being taken to address the problem.
Newell echoed those frustrations.
“I appreciate the work being done by our police officers, but the people of Lewiston deserve more than another shooting followed by a news article and a few social media comments,” he wrote. “We deserve leadership, transparency, and a plan.”
His final comments reflected a concern increasingly shared by residents across the city.
“Tonight a bullet ended up in my garage,” Newell wrote. “Next time it could be much worse.”
As of Sunday night, Lewiston police had not released additional information regarding suspects, arrests, or injuries connected to the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing.
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