Four people were hurt and a Massachusetts man was arrested in Maine on Wednesday night after police said he left the scene of a shooting and led officers on a high-speed chase that ended in a crash.

Luis Andres Lorenzo Rondon, 24, of Lawrence, was arrested in connection with the police pursuit. He was charged with eluding an officer, driving to endanger, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon — his car — and criminal speeding, according to Maine State Police.

At around 11:33 p.m. on April 16, reports of several shots fired on Park Street in the town of Paris, Maine came into the department.

There were no people injured in the shooting, the department said.

A nearby trooper who responded to the scene saw a blue SUV leaving the immediate area, Maine State Police said. The driver of the SUV was later identified as Rondon.

Rondon refused to pull over for officers when they tried to stop him in West Paris, “initiating a high-speed pursuit,” the department said.

The 24-year-old was pursued by multiple officers through several Maine towns for about 15 miles, including by Maine State Police troopers and law enforcement from Oxford and Androscoggin counties, the department said.

Rondon finally crashed in a field on Route 26 in Mechanic Falls after he hit a spike mat deployed on the road by police, the department said.

He and three other people who were in the car were all injured and were brought to Central Maine Medical Center. One passenger in the car had serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Two guns were found after the chase, the department said, and Rondon was charged in connection with the police pursuit and taken into custody. No charges or suspects in the shooting incident have been announced by the department as of Thursday morning.

The investigation into the entire incident is ongoing, according to Maine State Police.

A month into Donald Trump’s second term, the president hosted a White House event for the National Governors Association, which quite didn’t go as planned. The Republican picked a fight with Maine’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, over transgender student athletes, apparently hoping to bully her into submission.

It didn’t work. “See you in court,” the governor told him.

The prediction is now coming to fruition. The Associated Press reported:

At a press conference, Bondi said, in reference to the president, “This has been a huge issue for him.” That’s not generally the kind of argument Americans hear from an attorney general justifying a Justice Department case against a state, but here we are.

This is not, however, the only case of interest: Bondi’s Title IX case dovetails with a separate case, brought by Maine, which recently sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture over funds it froze as a result of the underlying dispute. Late last week, U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock Jr., a George W. Bush appointee, granted the state’s request for a temporary restraining order and ordered the Cabinet agency to release the funding.

The same day, Trump’s Department of Education, which still exists in a lesser form, said that it was moving forward with plans to cut off all federal funding for Maine’s public schools because of the state’s policy on trans student athletes.

Alas, for the Republican president and his team, this is not the only evidence of the apparent feud. Earlier this month, for example, the public learned that Leland Dudek, the Trump-appointed acting head of the Social Security Administration, ordered the termination of some federal contracts with Maine because the governor bothered the president. (The move was later reversed.)

In case that weren’t quite enough, after Trump clashed with Mills, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also sent a letter to Maine cancelling funding for Maine Sea Grant.

Time will tell whether the courts put a stop to all of this, or whether the governor is forced to back down. Watch this space.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

There’s a quiet ache many Maine communities feel today — not from a single event, but from a slow, steady shift. You notice it when a local high school graduation gets smaller each year. When the town store closes early because there’s no one to work. Or when a neighbor’s grandchild leaves for college and never moves back.

Maine is proud of its deep roots and generational ties. We are a state where hard work, close-knit communities and respect for the land are part of everyday life. But we also face a hard truth: Too many young people are leaving and not enough are staying — or coming back. Many want to live here. It’s just too expensive to do so.

This isn’t just a demographic challenge. It’s a serious threat to our economy, our workforce and our future. If we want strong schools, thriving small businesses, working forests and farms, and vibrant downtowns, we need to make Maine a place where young people can build a life — and want to.

That means doing more than just hoping they’ll return. It means making smart, intentional investments in the things that matter most: education, housing, job opportunities and community.

First, we need to expand career pathways that lead to fulfilling, family-sustaining jobs — whether that’s through apprenticeships, trades programs or partnerships between local employers and community colleges. We need to create foundations for young Mainers to become business owners by prioritizing economics and personal finance courses in our schools.

Second, we must address the housing crunch that’s hitting young families especially hard. In many towns, affordable starter homes are almost nonexistent. Rent is up and homeownership feels out of reach for too many. That’s why I’ve introduced and backed legislation to increase investment in affordable housing for Maine’s workforce.

Third, we must expand access to reliable, affordable child care. No young parent can afford to stay in Maine if child care costs more than their paycheck or is impossible to find. Supporting families also means supporting the early educators who make this work possible. I know that when we support Maine families, we’re not just helping individuals; we’re strengthening the fabric of our communities.

Finally, we have to stop pretending that rural life and opportunity are incompatible. From remote work to small-scale farming, small businesses, space exploration or tech startups, there is so much potential in Maine’s small towns and cities — if we support it. That’s why I’m focused on legislation that supports local entrepreneurs, improves rural infrastructure, modernizes and local farms.

We won’t reverse the trend overnight. But we can take meaningful steps, right now, to build the kind of future where young Mainers see a path forward in the place they call home. I believe in Maine’s next generation. And I believe our best days are still ahead — not behind.

I say all of this as someone who thought I would never be able to afford (or have the opportunity) to return home to Maine. I hope that our work here in Augusta ensures young Mainers don’t just leave with a suitcase, but instead return with a future and a plan to stay.

Mattie Daughtry represents state Senate District 23, which covers Brunswick, Chebeague Island, Freeport, Harpswell, Pownal and part of Yarmouth. She also serves as Maine’s Senate president. She can be reached at Mattie.Daughtry@legislature.maine.gov or 287-1515.

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