Police Searching For Maine Man After Gunfire Prompts Shelter-In-Place Order

According to an article on the WMTW website and a post on the Rumford Police Department Facebook page, police are searching for a 21-year-old Lewiston man who is now facing multiple felony charges following an investigation into reported gunfire and suspected drug trafficking at a Rumford apartment that prompted a shelter-in-place advisory Wednesday.

Blake Lachance is wanted on charges of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

Police said officers and members of the Maine State Police Tactical Team executed a court-authorized search warrant at a first-floor apartment at 209 Waldo Street in Rumford.  This incident happened after authorities received reports of gunfire and suspected drug activity.

Over the weekend, investigators received information about suspected drug trafficking involving local residents and people from outside the area. Police also received reports from residents who said people associated with the apartment were armed and had periodically fired guns in the surrounding neighborhood.

Before sunrise Wednesday, officers responded to another report of gunfire in the Waldo Street area. Investigators determined that the people believed to be involved had been inside the apartment and could still be there.  Officers from the Rumford Police Department and Oxford County Sheriff's Office established a perimeter while investigators sought search and arrest warrants.

The Maine State Police Tactical Team entered the apartment shortly before 1 PM Wednesday and determined that the suspects were no longer there. Investigators believe they fled several hours earlier, around the time police initially responded to the gunfire report.

Shortly before 12:15 PM, police advised people near the intersection of Waldo Street and Maine Avenue to shelter in place while officers secured the area. Temporary road closures and traffic detours were established, and ambulance crews were staged nearby as a precaution.

The shelter-in-place advisory was lifted at 1:20 PM, and closed roads began reopening.

Police said evidence recovered during the apartment search, along with information gathered during the ongoing investigation, supported reports received from members of the public.

Authorities consider Lachance potentially armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees him should not approach or attempt to confront him and should instead contact law enforcement with information about his whereabouts.

*NOTE - All suspects are considered innocent until being found guilty in a court of law

The investigation remains ongoing, and police expect additional people to face criminal charges as investigators continue gathering evidence and identifying those involved.