PORTLAND, Maine — Law enforcement officials in Portland say they're seeing a concerning rise in gun violence in the area, particularly among suspects ages 25 and younger.
In a press conference Tuesday, Maj. Robert Martin explained a recent arrest made in Portland of a suspect who threatened customers at a restaurant on Friday sparked the need to share their concerns.
Anthony Lobor, 25, was located at 42 Kellogg St. in Portland, and inside his home, officers found several firearms, firearm components, and evidence of drug trafficking.
"Our officers, every day, we're stopping cars. We're stopping crimes. We’re getting guns. With some of these weapons, our officers are in danger," Martin said.
Martin also shared a noted increase in alleged shootings within the city, sharing that between 2021 and now, there have been more shootings than in years prior. So far this year, Martin says there have been 43 incidents, 23 of which were confirmed shootings.
"We've had shootings down on Grant Street where multiple rounds were fired into the residence of people who had small children," Martin added. "Over the past several years we've had a number of cases where rounds have been fired into the side of houses, entering children's bedrooms, and in some cases, a projectile being found in the crib of a child."
Many of these guns recovered have been Polymer 80s without serial numbers—often referred to as "ghost guns"—which can be bought online without a background check, according to officials.
Amid the rise in gun violence, law enforcement says what's more upsetting is the ages of the people involved. Martin says a large number of the people caught with guns and drugs have been well under the age of 25.
"Twenty to 30 years ago it was 30-year-olds we were dealing with ... it wasn't teenagers. Teenagers were drinking beer and maybe smoking weed, but we were not seeing them shooting at each other," Martin said. "I can tell you that the youthfulness of our offenders is very disturbing and shocking to all of us."
Martin says the Portland Police Department is continuing to work with both the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments on related criminal offenses and with federal partners to prevent further incidents.