LEWISTON — Two separate public forums scheduled for next week will address community safety following the recent Knox Street shooting that left two dead.
Mayor Carl Sheline and City Council President Linda Scott on Tuesday announced that a “community safety forum” will take place Tuesday at Connors Elementary School.
“We believe it’s time for a community meeting regarding safety in our city,” they said in a statement. “We always welcome your thoughts and concerns and we want to provide an opportunity for our residents to come together to share their feedback and ideas for progress. We hope that this forum starts the beginning of a community conversation that will lead to positive changes and outcomes.”
Sheline described the forum as simply a listening session to hear thoughts and concerns from the public.
Just two days later, on Aug. 24, police officials will hold a forum at the same venue, according to Chief David St. Pierre.
During a City Council workshop Tuesday, St. Pierre briefed the council on what he said had been myths or non-factual information that came out following the July 30 shooting. St. Pierre had already previously held a press conference on the issues.
He said since then, the department has been in contact with the Somali and Muslim communities through local Imams, and police officials have a meeting Wednesday at the New Mainer Public Health Initiative.
He told the council that police “want to work with the entire community, and would like them to work with us,” but that police “can’t do it on our own. He said there remains distrust or fear of retribution for assisting police.
Mohamed Sheikh, 30, of Auburn and Keyt Hussein, 23, of Lewiston died after an altercation Sunday morning, July 30 on Knox Street. Sheikh died on a Knox Street sidewalk and Hussein died at Central Maine Medical Center. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined the causes of death were gunshot wounds and ruled them homicides.
Shannon Moss, the Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson, said investigators learned Sheikh and Hussein were in a feud that had escalated in the days leading up to the shootings. Sheikh found Hussein sitting in a parked car on Knox Street, approached him as he tried to get out and began shooting him, Moss said.
Mohamed Liban, 24, of Lewiston, was also sitting in the car and shot Sheikh several times through an open window, Moss said.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office reviewed the shootings and determined Liban shot Sheikh in Hussein’s defense and will not be prosecuted, Moss said.
St. Pierre also said that since the Knox Street shootings there has been increased concerns with community safety, particularly the number of shootings this year. He said he didn’t want to downplay the numbers, but that many were not violent crimes and that the data is on par with cities such as Portland and Bangor.
“I want (Lewiston) to be different than them,” he said regarding those cities. “I want the community to feel safe. Officers are out there every day to make that happen. We need the community’s help in order to be successful.”
St. Pierre said the department has “beefed up” patrols, with officers doing regular walking beats in the Knox Street area and city parks. He said there are more active patrols now than he can remember in his 31 years on the force.
During the City Council meeting Tuesday, several people spoke out regarding public safety concerns during the public comment period.
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