AUBURN, Maine — Auburn police are investigating a shooting that happened in the parking lot shared by businesses in the 700 block of Center Street in Auburn.
Police confirm one person was shot and taken to the hospital.
Police said they received a call from a man and woman reporting that they had been robbed at gunpoint while parked in the lot just after midnight.
Upon arrival, officers found a 19-year-old man lying on the ground, bleeding, with a single gunshot wound to his chest. Another male, William Beasley, 18, of Auburn, was with him attempting to provide first aid.
Officers gave first aid until the Auburn Fire Department arrived to take the man to the hospital.
Police have not yet released the identity of the man shot.
They do expect additional charges to be filed.
Deputy Chief Tim Cougal said the victims of the robbery had arrived in the parking lot in separate vehicles and then had gotten into one vehicle to talk after the woman had gotten out of work.
"(They) noticed a vehicle, which they thought was suspicious the way it went by them. A short time later two individuals approached from the back of their vehicle and asked for directions" Cougal said.
Cougal said Beasley and a 19-year-old male with him then pulled out a firearm or what the victims thought was a firearm. They demanded their money and cell phones.
"The female handed over her cell phone and money and then the subject turned to the male victim and pointed the weapon at him."
Cougal said the man got out of his vehicle and explained that his items were in his own vehicle, the next car over.
"He kind of pleaded with them and said basically give me a minute my stuff is over here. When he went to his car he did have a firearm which he retrieved and used on the suspect."
From the police report, the male victim was able to retrieve his own 9mm handgun from his car.
Cougal said the male victim fired several shots. One of them hitting the 19-year-old in the chest.
While this investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected, Auburn Police have arrested 18-year-old William Beasley.
Beasley has been charged with one count of Robbery Class B. His bail has been set at $25,000 cash. The weapon used in the robbery by Beasley and his accomplice has been determined to be a BB gun, designed to look like a revolver.
"They're designed that way, that's what folks are buying, they want them to look real."
Cougal says this appears to be a simple case of self-defense. But was it the best choice?
"Just because you can doesn't mean it's necessarily the safest decision. But every situation is different. You can say, what is the situation? What are the circumstances? What are my skills, my ability level?"
Cougal says those are factors people should consider when faced with that decision.
The man who was shot during this incident remains at Central Maine Medical Center in critical condition.
Auburn Police are being assisted by the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit.
This story will be updated.