Crime
James Davis III fired AK-47 at traffic after killing mother in Sabattus
Authorities in Maine have released additional details regarding the tragic Sabattus shooting that left three people dead and two others injured on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
29-year-old James Davis III, a resident of Sabattus, has been identified as the gunman.
According to Maine State Police Colonel William Ross, Davis was experiencing a mental health crisis before the incident, which resulted in the deaths of his 47-year-old mother, Christine Smith, and 53-year-old Katherine Williams, a local school employee.
Davis lived with his mother on Dube Drive, located less than a mile from where the shooting occurred.
Authorities say he had a sporadic work history, did not have a driverโs license, and was primarily cared for by his mother.
On the morning of the shooting, Smith drove Davis to his fatherโs home on Birchwood Drive, where he spent most of the day with his father and grandmother.
Family members reported that Davis began acting erratically, speaking incoherently, and displaying signs of mental distress.
Relatives attempted to contact Smith throughout the day, as she was often able to calm him down.
Later, Davisโ father arranged for him to meet with his mother, hoping it would help stabilize his behavior.
Investigators revealed that Davis was in possession of a .357 revolver and an AK-47 rifle when he arrived at his fatherโs home. After the shooting, additional firearms were recovered from the residence.
Authorities confirmed that Davis carried both weapons into his fatherโs vehicle when he was driven to meet his mother. When he switched to her car, he took the firearms with him.
Despite Davisโ troubling behavior earlier in the day, there was no indication that family members attempted to remove his firearms or contact law enforcement before the tragedy unfolded.
At approximately 4:15 p.m., Smith was driving Davis home on King Road, approaching the intersection of Middle Road (Route 9), when Davis shot her with the .357 revolver.
Smith was killed instantly, and the vehicle veered off the road, coming to a stop on the front lawn of a nearby home near the Lisbon town line.
Davis then exited the vehicle with the AK-47 and began firing indiscriminately at passing cars.
Three drivers were struck by gunfire:
- Katherine Williams, 53, of Sabattus โ Fatally wounded. Her vehicle crashed into a nearby home. She was transported to Central Maine Medical Center (CMCC) in Lewiston, where she was pronounced dead.
- Tyson Turner, 19, of Jay โ Shot while driving. Transported to CMCC with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
- David Wilson, 35, of Hartford โ Also struck by gunfire. Transported to CMCC with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
After firing multiple rounds into traffic, Davis turned the AK-47 on himself, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police confirmed that the entire incident unfolded within a matter of minutes.
Williams, affectionately known as โKay,โ was a beloved employee of Regional School Unit 4.
She served as the food service manager at Carrie Ricker School and Libby Tozier School in Litchfield.
In a letter to families, Superintendent Katy Grondin expressed the school communityโs grief:
โThere is no question that her death will have an impact on all of us, as Kay was a beloved member of the RSU 4 community. Our thoughts are with her family as they begin to process this loss.โ
Authorities do not believe Davis knew any of the passing drivers he shot at, indicating the attack was random.
While police are still investigating Davis’ history of drug use, an initial search did not uncover any drugs, and his family did not report any signs of substance abuse.
An autopsy will determine whether he had any substances in his system at the time of the shooting.
Col. Ross acknowledged the rarity of such incidents, though he referenced a similar mass shooting in Bowdoin, Maine, as another recent act of violence.
The Maine State Police, Sabattus Police Department, Lisbon Police Department, and Androscoggin County Sheriffโs Office continue to investigate the tragedy.
Further details will be released as they become available.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subjectโs vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorneyโs Office.