Maine college locked down after shots fired during party in student housing

Colby Faculty was placed on lockdown after photographs had been fired throughout a celebration in a scholar housing advanced on the varsity’s campus in Waterville, Maine early Saturday, authorities mentioned.

Two photographs had been fired amid the struggle that allegedly broke out between three males, none of whom are college students of the school, throughout the celebration contained in the Harold and Bibby Alfond Residence Advanced within the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, the Waterville Police Division mentioned in a press release. No person was injured.

Twenty-four-year-old Andrew Gifford of Waterville is accused of firing the gun. He was arrested and charged with reckless conduct with a harmful weapon after the taking pictures, in accordance with the division. The others allegedly concerned within the struggle are accused of fleeing the realm, the school famous in a press release.

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“It is extremely lucky that no harmless bystanders had been harm by this reckless conduct,” Interim Waterville Police Chief William Bonney mentioned within the division’s assertion. “I really feel horrible for the scholars and oldsters who needed to undergo the trauma of this occasion, worrying that one among their family members could also be harm or worse.”

Legislation enforcement first acquired stories of the photographs fired on the school’s campus round 1:30 a.m. Whereas Waterville and Winslow, Maine cops had been going to the scene, dispatchers realized the taking pictures befell on the Alfond Residence Advanced, a constructing that homes seniors on the varsity’s campus and is known as the “Senior Residences” by members of the varsity neighborhood, in accordance with the division’s assertion.

Police entered the housing advanced and located Gifford on the bottom flooring being handled for wounds to his head. He was on the celebration within the constructing when he allegedly bought into the struggle with the 2 different males. All three of them are from Waterville, however they don’t seem to be Colby college students, the division famous.

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Police mentioned Gifford was assaulted by one of many males in a crowded hallway and responded by firing two rounds from a Ruger 9mm handgun he was concealing. Each bullets struck the partitions of the hallway with out injuring anybody.

Gifford was taken to Maine Basic Medical Heart in Waterville, the place he was handled for his accidents and arrested. His bail was set at $10,000 money, and he was anticipated to be taken to the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta, Maine to await arraignment. He’s scheduled to look in courtroom at 8:30 a.m. on June 12.

Within the hours after the taking pictures, the campus remained locked down. Whereas Waterville police didn’t see an imminent hazard to the neighborhood, the varsity urged everybody to remain in place by the evening out of an abundance of warning. Regular operations had been anticipated to renew Saturday morning, in accordance with the school’s assertion.

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“Workers have been on campus offering help for college students, and counseling companies will probably be accessible this morning for particular person and group help,” the assertion mentioned.

Bonney praised the officers who responded to the taking pictures, noting they “had no concept what they had been going into once they entered the constructing.”

“Thankfully nobody was significantly harm and the suspect was taken into custody with out incident, however the officers had been most definitely ready for the worst on arrival,” the interim police chief mentioned.