Lewiston police log 35 gun incidents this year with 22 involving juveniles, Maine's second-largest city was transformed by refugees from Somalia and other African nations

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Maine mayoral candidate blasts 'broken' justice system as Lewiston grapples with gun violence foxnews.com

'Kids shooting kids': Maine reporter describes gun violence concerns in Lewiston foxnews.com

Lewiston, Maine foxnews.com

Somali native living in Maine city grappling with gun violence and fraud scandal says immigration isn't to blame foxnews.com

Lewiston is Maine's second most populous city foxnews.com

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Police in Lewiston, Maine's second most populous city, have recorded 35 gun-related incidents this year, 22 of them involving juveniles. Police Chief Carly Conley calls youth gun violence one of the most serious public safety challenges facing the city, and city officials have approved $200,000 in additional police overtime to expand patrols and enforcement. The city was transformed by an influx of refugees and immigrants, many of them from Somalia and other African nations.

No official city or police data indicates that Somali residents as a group are behind the violence or establishes a connection to the increase, and the people living with it disagree about the cause. Mohamed Adbei, a teenager in Lewiston, says the issue is youth in general rather than any one group. Ifraax Saciid, a Somali native who lived in Atlanta before moving to Lewiston, points instead to poverty, describing a city that is very poor and in a bad economic state. Mohamed Muhumed, another teenager, says he fears for his life.

What is documented is what happens after an arrest. Jon Fetherston, a reporter for The Maine Wire, says the majority of the gun violence is being committed by teenagers and that multiple teenagers have been arrested and immediately released by the courts, to the frustration of the district attorney. Rick LaChapelle, a former city council president now running for mayor as a Republican, cites one young man he says has been arrested five times for the same offense and taken to the youth center and released each time. LaChapelle says the police are doing an excellent job of catching people, that the biggest problem is the system itself, and that one-party rule has prevented accountability.

City officials have formally urged changes to Maine's juvenile justice system, including more options for handling repeat violent offenders and greater scrutiny before high-risk juveniles are released. Mayor Carl Sheline said in a statement that the overtime money sends a message to those perpetrating gun violence — "we will find you" — and that parental involvement and accountability are key to reducing it. His office did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions about his broader efforts before publication.

Sheline promised that those perpetrating gun violence would be found. According to The Maine Wire, the courts release them immediately after they are caught.