GRAY, Maine (AP) — A passenger in a car in Maine fatally shot his mother before shooting at passing vehicles, killing another motorist and injuring two others, then died by suicide, state police said Thursday.
The shootings happened in the central Maine town of Sabattus late Wednesday afternoon, police said. The 29-year-old shooter was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his mother, Christine Smith, 47, of Sabattus, police said in a news release.
The shooter, James Davis III of Sabattus, shot and killed Smith and exited the vehicle after it came to a stop, at which point he started shooting at passing vehicles, police said. The shootings killed Katherine Williams, 53, of Sabattus, and injured Tyson Turner, 19, of Jay, and David Wilson, 35, of Hartford, police said.
Earlier in the day, Davis was acting erratically at his father's house, Maine State Police Col. William Ross said. Davis was armed with a .357 revolver, an AK-style rifle and, authorities believe, one or two other guns, Ross said. Family members have indicated Davis was experiencing a mental health crisis Wednesday, but it's unclear if he was suffering from a longer-term mental health condition, Ross said.
Throughout the day, family members attempted to get in touch with Smith, who was the primary caregiver to Davis and was usually able to calm him down during erratic episodes, Ross said. Smith and Davis also lived together, he said.
Davis met up with his mother later in the day and Davis shot Smith with the revolver while she was driving, Ross said.
“A very dynamic scene involving a mother and an adult child. So it has a domestic undertone to it,” Ross said. “Then you have random acts of violence at people that James Davis III did not know and did not have contact prior to shooting.”
After shooting his mother, Davis opened fire at other vehicles with the rifle, Ross said. Those shootings killed Williams, who had no known association with Davis, he said.
Williams was the sole occupant of her vehicle, police said.
Williams, who went by Kay, was the kitchen manager at two schools in Litchfield, where she had a remarkable ability to build strong connections with students and staff, Superintendent Katherine Grondin said in an email.
“Her kindness and dedication made a lasting impact on our school community, and she will be deeply missed,” Grondin said. “Our hearts go out to her family as they navigate this loss. It has been a difficult day for all of us as we mourn the passing of a valued and beloved member of our school family.”
Davis shot and killed himself after the shootings, police said.
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Williams was brought to Central Maine Medical Center after the shooting and pronounced dead, police said.
Turner and Wilson were brought to Central Maine Medical Center and are expected to survive, police said. They were traveling in separate cars and were the sole occupants of their vehicles, they said.
Police said the shootings remained under investigation Thursday. State police said they had no history of prior contact with Davis.
“The three deceased individuals were transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta where autopsies will be performed,” said Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for Maine State Police.
Col. William Ross speaks during a news conference, Thursday, April 3, 2025 at the Maine State Police Barracks in Gray, Maine. (Andree Kehn/Sun Journal via AP)
Emergency vehicles block off the road near Route 9 while police investigate a reported shooting incident on Wednesday, April 2, 2024 in Sabattus, Maine. (Andree Kehn /Sun Journal via AP)
Emergency vehicles block off the road near Route 9 while police investigate a reported shooting incident on Wednesday, April 2, 2024 in Sabattus, Maine. (Andree Kehn /Sun Journal via AP)
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Nathan Lyon dented England's desperate Ashes survival bid with three quick blows: vice-captain Harry Brook, bowled; captain Ben Stokes, bowled; leading scorer Zak Crawley, stumped.
Just as England was starting to gain confidence Saturday chasing what needed to be a world-record 435 to keep the Ashes series alive, Lyon returned to the Australian attack.
Crawley (85) and Brook (30) had combined in a 68-run stand to revive England's innings from 109-3 to 177-3 after Australia skipper Pat Cummins took out the top order.
Then Lyon, who moved to No. 2 on Australia's all-time list of wicket-takers with two dismissals in the first innings, started a new spell in the evening session.
Lyon dismissed a cavalier Brook, who reached too far and completely missed an attempted reverse sweep, with his second ball. The 38-year-old spinner quickly took three wickets for eight runs in a sequence that ripped through the middle order and suddenly England was 194-6.
Its totemic skipper, Ben Stokes, was out trying to defend against Lyon but missing a turning ball that rattled his off stump. Crawley, playing patiently in pursuit of a sixth test century, was deceived by a drifting Lyon delivery and stumped by Alex Carey.
At stumps on Day 4, England was 207-6 and needing 228 runs for an improbable victory in the third test.
Australia, which hasn't lost an Ashes test at home since 2010-11, needed four wickets to clinch the five-match series with two tests to spare.
After losing the first two tests in Perth and Brisbane, England needs a victory to have any hope of reclaiming the Ashes. Australia needs only a draw to retain the Ashes.
“We’ll reflect on today and make plans for tomorrow,” Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey said in a post-match TV interview, trying to play down his team's strong position.
Of Lyon's impact, Carey added: “He toiled away all day, finally got some reward.”
Cummins rattled the top order in three quick spells, dismissing Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (17), both caught by Marnus Labuschagne, on either side of the lunch interval. Then he returned to have Joe Root, the No. 1-ranked batter in test cricket, caught behind for 39.
It was the 13th time in Cummins has dismissed the former England captain in test cricket. And it was an all-too familiar setup, Cummins putting the ball on a consistent length before getting Root to dabble at a ball that shaped in and then seamed away.
It was an important contribution for the Australian skipper after he missed the first two tests through injury.
Even his Australian teammates late in the afternoon were mildly taunting Lyon, who said in a TV interview earlier this month he was “filthy” at being dropped from the lineup for the second test in Brisbane. Chirps of “C'mon Big Fil. C'mon Filthy” echoed from fielders around the stumps in encouragement for the veteran spin bowler after his three-wicket burst.
Lyon hadn't taken a wicket in 27 overs and had figures of 0-50 from 10.1 overs in the second innings Saturday before he completely swung the momentum in Australia's favor.
Even part-timer Travis Head had caused trouble for the England batters while Lyon was out of the attack, before Australia's frontline spinner seized back control.
For much of Day 4, England was playing the better cricket.
Australia resumed at 271-4 in its second innings, a lead of 356, with Head unbeaten on 142 and Carey on 52.
Head’s dismissal for 170 triggered a lower-order collapse, with the last six wickets falling for 38 in 11 overs. The Australians were all out for 349, a lead of 434.
Head's 162-run stand with Carey ended when he pulled a short ball from Josh Tongue (4-70) high and deep into the outfield.
Stokes then had Carey out for 72, tucking a short ball around the corner and caught at leg slip in a smart piece of field positioning.
Brydon Carse (3-80) dismissed Cummins (6) and Lyon on consecutive balls but Scott Boland left a wide ball to deny England its first Ashes hat-trick since 1999.
The highest successful fourth-innings run chase was West Indies’ 418 in a three-wicket win over Australia at Antigua in 2003.
England has successfully chased 370-plus targets twice to win against India in the last three years.
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Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Zak Crawley reacts after he was out stumped by Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Pat Cummins, centre, celebrates with teammate Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, right, after dismissing England's Ollie Pope during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England batsmen Zak Crawley, right, and Joe Root gesture during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Joe Root bats during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, right, walks with teammate Jofra Archer after dismissing Australia during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Pat Cummins is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Duckettduring play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, right, celebrates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Duckett walks from the field after he was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Jofra Archer bowls during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, centre, celebrates with teammates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
