HARTLAND, Maine — A man from Hartland has been arrested after admitting he fired gun shots during a fight Monday in front of Wright's General Store on Commercial Street, according to the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.
Around 5:40 p.m., deputies responded to complaints of shots fired. The report was called in by a witness who saw a maroon-colored SUV pull up to the curb on Commercial Street and stop. The witness also said people then got out of the SUV and confronted the victim.
According to a release from Somerset County Sheriff's Office, an argument began and culminated when one of the aggressors fired a weapon. Deputies could verify the witness' testimony after finding two .45-caliber shell casings on the sidewalk at the scene.
Deputies interviewed witnesses and identified Corey Eugene Swain, 42, as the shooter. Sheriff Dale Lancaster said Deputy Toby Blodgett found Swain at his grandmother's house and discovered the handgun had been left in another location in Hartland. After questioning, the sheriff's office said Swain admitted to Blodgett that he had discharged the weapon.
With further investigation, deputies discovered that Swain's girlfriend had been in a relationship with the victim at one point. According to Swain, the victim was walking on Commercial Street and saw Swain in the car, got upset about the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, opened Swain's door, and started a physical fight.
Swain told police he removed the handgun from the vehicle's glove box and discharged a round of shots into the air as he was exiting the SUV. He says once he was out of the SUV, he fired another round of shots as a warning. No one was injured in the encounter.
Blodgett arrested Swain and charged him with possession of a firearm by Prohibited Person and Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon. He was brought to Somerset County Jail. Bail was set at $5,000 cash with a special condition of no use or possession of firearms or dangerous weapons. Swain's initial court date is set for March.
