LEWISTON, Maine — The Maine Department of Public Safety on Tuesday publicly identified the two victims in a deadly shooting that happened in Lewiston on Sunday.
One person died on Knox Street, while the second individual was transported to Central Maine Medical Center where they later died, according to a release from Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.
Autopsies were performed to determine cause and manner of death, and their identities were withheld until confirmation.
Mohammed Sheik, 30, of Auburn and Keyt Hussein, 23, of Lewiston both died by gunshot wounds, and their deaths have been categorized as homicides.
"The two shooting deaths that happened on Sunday have shaken our community and threatened the sense of safety we have been striving for in Lewiston," Mayor Carl Sheline said Tuesday in a statement.
Sheline added that he has requested the city council hold a workshop with the police department "to learn more about the incident, identify ways we can support their law enforcement work, and work together with them to return a feeling of safety to every neighborhood in Lewiston."
Leaders in Lewiston planned to hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to update the public about the incident.
The investigation is ongoing, and police have reportedly spoken to "people of interest," Moss said.
"The investigation has shown this to be an isolated incident," according to the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Lewiston police Chief David St. Pierre said during the press conference Tuesday that the people were reportedly known to each other, and witnesses and people of interest have since been interviewed. What remains unclear is who shot the two men.
When asked about increasing patrols in the area, St. Pierre also said it's a regularly patrolled area and that officers were "keenly aware of hot spots" and would continue to do so.
Chief St. Pierre said one of the major hurdles his officers face on a daily basis is lack of cooperation from the community, making investigations difficult to close.
"I need the community to come forward, and if they saw something, let us know what happened," St. Pierre said. "I need victims of crimes to come forward and report that to the police. Without the cooperation of the public, we have a very difficult job."
Lewiston Police data show 29 confirmed incidents of shots fired in the city so far this year, but police said the majority of those were not acts of violent crime: many were shooting at targets, trees, into the air, or at buildings. Seven of the 29 had one or more victims hurt.
"It's very concerning to us. Any time that we have a shot fired that shouldn't be fired, it's alarming. It's upsetting for the community and it's upsetting for the police," St. Pierre said.
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