ROCKLAND – Rockland Police have arrested a juvenile for firing a gun multiple times on Halloween night, October 31.

Police responded to a report at approximately 9 p.m. of shots fired near the Rockland public restrooms on Tillson Avenue, according to a press release issued by the department.

The police investigation included witness and victim interviews, a collection of physical evidence and a surveillance video.

Police said they learned that during a verbal confrontation between a juvenile and young adult over social media posts, the juvenile displayed a firearm, fired a shot in the air and pointed the firearm at the adult and approximately 10 other juveniles that were present.

After the initial incident, the offending juvenile then fired several more shots while nearby the wastewater treatment plant. Police confirmed that no one was injured during the incident.

On Nov. 3, Rockland Police took the juvenile suspect into custody without incident. The juvenile was taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland and charged with felony reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, felony criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, unlawful concealment of a firearm and discharge of a firearm less than 100 yards from a dwelling.

The Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland is Maine’s only secure juvenile facility. LCYDC serves as both a detention center for pre-adjudicated youth being held for a court appearance and for adjudicated youth who have been committed to a juvenile correctional facility for an indeterminate period up to the age of 21, according to their website.

Maine Juvenile Court is the system that handles most cases involving juveniles who commit offenses that would otherwise be considered crimes if the conduct had been committed by adults. Juveniles are persons under the age of 18 years old.  

Juvenile offenders are treated under the law differently than adult offenders. The focus in Juvenile Court is to provide young offenders with care, guidance, appropriate treatment and services, as well as consequences for their actions, according to the State of Maine Judicial website.

Judges of the Maine District Court preside over juvenile proceedings.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting can contact Detective Sgt. Max King at MKing@RocklandMaine.Gov or call Knox County Regional Communications center at 593-9132.

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com