DHS breaks hours of silence on deadly ICE shooting in Maine, saying officer was ‘fearing for public safety’
Department of Homeland Security Addresses Fatal ICE Shooting in Maine
DHS breaks hours of silence on deadly – Following hours of silence, federal authorities have issued a statement regarding the deadly shooting of a Colombian immigrant by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Maine. The victim has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old man who was shot while heading to his job on Monday morning in Biddeford.
Official Statement and Timeline
The Department of Homeland Security released its explanation approximately twelve hours after the incident occurred. According to the agency’s statement, the ICE officer discharged his weapon because he was “fearing for public safety” at the moment Guerrero “attempted to flee the scene.” This clarification comes as local residents and advocacy groups seek greater transparency about the circumstances surrounding the fatal encounter.
Neighbors described hearing a chaotic scene unfold. Nelson Elias, who has known Guerrero since 2024, recounted waking to loud commotion outside his home. “Around 7 a.m. I heard screams, they woke me up,” Elias explained to CNN. He noted that officers could be heard instructing someone to park a vehicle before multiple gunshots rang out. “Then all of a sudden they shot like 6 times, and it was just something hard to hear,” he added.
Conflicting Information About Warrant Status
One point of contention involves whether Guerrero was the intended subject of a warrant. Senator Angus King’s office subsequently stated that Guerrero was “NOT the target of the warrant,” following another conversation with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. However, the senator had previously indicated, citing an earlier discussion with Mullin, that the man was indeed the warrant’s target. These contradictory accounts have added complexity to understanding the official narrative.
A Community in Mourning
Guerrero is remembered as a devoted family man and hardworking individual. His neighbor described him as someone who lived with his partner and their three-year-old daughter. “He was a good person. He was quiet and reserved. He worked hard to provide for his wife and a 3-year-old daughter,” Elias said. According to Elias, Guerrero employed himself as a delivery driver when the shooting occurred.
Community members have gathered near the intersection where the tragedy unfolded, leaving flowers and candles in tribute. One handmade sign proclaims, “Immigrants make Biddeford great.” Mary Hayes, a nearby resident, shared her emotional observations with The Associated Press. “I watched a wife fall to her knees looking at her husband’s dead body on the ground,” Hayes said while holding a cardboard sign reading “No ICE Stop ICE.” She continued, “I watched a little girl crying with a little pink backpack on because she’s never going to see her father again.”
Broader Context and National Repercussions
This incident marks the second fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents in the United States within less than a week. Just days earlier, an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant, during a traffic stop in Texas. The geographic distance between these two events—nearly 2,000 miles apart—has not diminished their combined impact on public discourse.
The shootings have also resonated in Minneapolis, where calls for accountability among ICE agents have been renewed. This comes in the wake of the January shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in that city. Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain expressed his grief publicly, telling CNN affiliate WGME, “I am mourning for the individuals impacted, for the family that lost a father, lost a partner, and a community member as well.”
Verification and Community Response
While the Maine Attorney General’s Office initially declined to officially name the victim until positive identification and family notification were complete, CNN has learned through the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition that the deceased was a 26-year-old Colombian man. The coalition confirmed that Guerrero was authorized to work in the United States and had been issued a social security number. Federal officials have yet to independently verify these details.
As investigations continue, the community of Biddeford grapples with the loss of one of its own. The tragedy has sparked renewed conversations about immigration enforcement practices and their impact on local neighborhoods. CNN’s Mark Morales, Elise Hammond, and Sarah Boxer contributed to this report.