RUMFORD, Maine — Rumford Police Department shared more information about what they called an "active shooter incident" Tuesday night, that caused the Rumford community to shelter in place.
Billy Morvent, 59, fired several gunshots in the Rumford Corner Village area around 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to police. Morvent also allegedly crashed his car into a home at 76 State Route 232 and set the building on fire.
Morvent lead law enforcement officers on an extensive search, and officers eventually found him at around 1 a.m. Wednesday with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Rumford Hospital and later transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, police said.
Police charged Morvent with felony criminal threatening with a deadly weapon, reckless conduct, and felony aggravated criminal mischief.
Police responded to Rumford Corner Village after receiving reports of gunfire in the area, the department said in a social media post. Once officers arrived at the scene, police said Morvent was firing a rifle at the Thurston family home.
The Thurston family owns the local farm stand, Jade's Homegrown, right next door.
NEWS CENTER Maine spoke with the family Wednesday. They were visibly shaken up following a night they described as "terrifying."
After escaping their home safely, the Thurstons said they found shelter in a ditch. They said they remained in the ditch for hours clutching their weapons for protection, hoping not to be found.
One member of the family explained that Morvent often visited their local farm stand. He said they have made reports to Rumford police about receiving threats from Morvent in the past, believing that he struggles with mental health.
The family explained how the night escalated quickly, and how they were unsure if they would make it out alive.
Rumford police issued a shelter-in-place order after seeing Morvent was armed when they arrived at the scene.
"Assistance arrived swiftly from the Oxford County and Franklin County Sheriff’s Offices, Maine State Police, Paris Police, Norway Police, Wilton Police and the Maine Warden Service. Fire departments from Rumford and neighboring towns along with the Rumford Highway Department established roadblocks around the village," Rumford police said in the social media post.
"Multiple law enforcement teams coordinated to contain the area, provide cover for a limited crew of firefighters to extinguish the blaze, rescue the three individuals hiding in the ditch, and safeguard nearby residents. Drones equipped with thermal imaging, provided by Norway Police, Rumford Fire, Jay Fire, and Maine State Police, aided in the search for the gunman, monitoring for victims and supporting officers’ movements," the post said.
One neighbor, John Dunlay, said his daughter, who works for the town of Mexico, called him frantic after she heard about the shelter-in-place order.
"We were sitting there and watching TV and didn't know anything was going on because on this street, as busy as it is, we have black out shades," he said.
Hearing the words "shelter in place" can send anyone into a state of worry, but Dunlay's home is 500 feet or less away from what turned out to be total chaos, and everyone in the neighborhood was caught in the middle of a man hunt.
Dunlay said the incident was unfortunate after seeing the fire Morvent allegedly set resulted in a total loss for the Thurston family.
"Those old houses, when they catch fire, it's just like the set of a match and gone," Dulay said.
What's left of the home tells the story of a family that barely escaped tragedy.
There is a fundraising effort to help the owners' local farm stand. To help the Thurston family, click here.