PORTLAND, Maine — A North Deering man who believed he was shooting at people but who may have been suffering from mental illness was taken into custody Thursday after discharging his firearm.
The gunshots were reported a day after an early Wednesday triple shooting near the intersection of Congress and India streets left two men hospitalized and one dead.
Cmdr. Gary Rogers of the Portland Police Department said police responded to calls of gunfire on Marlborough Road around midday Thursday.
When officers arrived at 10 Marlborough Road, they heard shots being fired, according to a press release from the Portland Police Department. Shortly afterward, the 66-year-old man who lived there called 911 to report he had fired his gun.
Rogers said officers found the man, who surrendered his weapon, and took him to Mercy Hospital for an evaluation. The man was alone in the home and no one was injured.
The man told police he was shooting at individuals he believed to be a danger, but Rogers said officers found no sign of the alleged targeted individuals during a sweep of the home and surrounding area. The man had fired several rounds inside the house, according to the release.
“The shots had in fact been fired, but there were no people,” Rogers said. “He was apparently delusional.”
No criminal charges are anticipated, police said. Several firearms were confiscated from the residence.
Around 1 a.m.Wednesday, gunshots were reported near 105 India St., where police found three men shot. Matthew Blanchard, 24, died at the scene, while Joshua Hersom, 24, and John Howard, 20, were taken to the hospital, where they underwent surgery and are expected to recover, police say.
Investigators are looking for two black or Asian men witnesses reported seeing near the scene of the crime, who police say fled in a westerly direction down Congress Street. Police are asking anyone with information about the Wednesday morning shooting to call 874-8533, submit an anonymous tip through the department website at www.portland-police.com, or text the keyword “GOTCHA” along with a tip to 274637.