LEWISTON — A 34-year-old local man was behind bars Wednesday, charged in connection with a shooting on Pine Street that led to a five-hour police standoff Tuesday on Elm Street.
Whali Ahamed Henry was charged with reckless conduct with a firearm after he surrendered to police about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Police said Henry fired multiple shots at a group of men standing in front of Webb’s Market on Pine Street about 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The shooter fled the scene, but police soon tracked him to an apartment at 25 Elm St. They surrounded the apartment house while waiting for the Maine State Police Tactical team.
About 5 p.m., Lewiston and Maine State Police set up a perimeter around the home, blocking off several side streets as fully armored Tactical Team members attempted to negotiate with the suspect.
About 10 p.m. Henry came out of the house with his arms raised as state police used a public address system to guide him toward waiting troopers.
Two others came out of the apartment house about an hour earlier.
No shots were fired during the standoff and no injuries were reported.
Lewiston police were continuing to investigate the shooting.
Shortly after 3 p.m., police were called out to the area of Pine Street, near the intersection of Horton Street, after callers reported hearing up to 10 shots fired in the area.
Witnesses said it appeared that someone in a dark-colored SUV had been firing at a group of men standing outside Webb’s Market. Nobody was struck by gunfire, but the neighborhood was once again left rattled by the thunder of gunfire in the middle of the afternoon.
One woman said she was walking her dog on Pine Street when she heard a series of gunshots. A woman who lives near Webb’s Market said she heard at least a half-dozen shots before the driver of the SUV sped away. Others reported hearing as many as 10 shots.
Police said the people who were shot at on Pine Street also fled the area before police arrived. None appeared to have been struck by gunfire.
According to those who know him, Henry has been living in Lewiston for several years after coming here from Chester, Pennsylvania. He was being held at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn Wednesday on $15,000 bail.
