The 26-year-old father fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Biddeford, Maine, was not the target of the warrant being executed, a clarification emerged from the office of U.S. Senator Angus King.
Senator King's office stated that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin provided this updated information to him following the incident on Monday. Initially, King had indicated that Mullin had informed him the victim, identified as Colombian national Joan Sebastian Guerrero, was the subject of an order to leave the country. However, Secretary Mullin later corrected this information.
Immigration advocacy group Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition has stated Guerrero possessed a work authorization permit for the U.S. and a social security number.
The shooting occurred around 7 a.m. ET as Guerrero's three-year-old daughter was present in the vehicle. Footage from the scene captured Guerrero's white Kia sedan moving slowly in circles at an intersection as an ICE agent ran alongside the vehicle. It remains unclear if this footage was captured before or after the shooting. Lawmakers are reportedly seeking detailed answers regarding the event.
King's office indicated that Mullin informed them Guerrero "weaponized" his vehicle against the ICE agent, although no bodycam footage of the incident is available. The Colombian Embassy in the U.S. has requested an explanation for Guerrero's death.
DHS, the parent agency of ICE, released a statement noting that agents were surveilling an address for an individual with a final order of removal. When agents attempted to stop a vehicle believed to be connected to that address, the vehicle allegedly attempted to flee, leading an officer to discharge their weapon out of concern for public safety.
The FBI is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, with the Maine attorney general's office also involved. Initial findings suggest the motorist was attempting to flee in the direction of the agent. The agent involved has been placed on administrative leave.
Witnesses described hearing approximately five shots fired rapidly. The victim was seen bleeding profusely from his head moments after the shooting. Photos from the scene show a bullet hole in the windshield of Guerrero's vehicle. Unmarked vehicles reportedly converged on Guerrero's car before agents in ICE uniforms confronted him, and an agent subsequently drew his weapon.
Locals reported that ICE had been present in the town for approximately a week. Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree expressed deep concern and anger, emphasizing the need for transparency and calling for an explanation of ICE's presence and actions in Maine.
Maine's House Speaker Ryan Fecteau stated that details leading to the shooting are still being gathered, with state police, the Department of Public Safety, and the FBI involved in the investigation.
The incident follows other recent encounters involving ICE, including a fatal shooting in Houston and the deaths of anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota earlier this year. Community groups in Maine have already organized protests in response to the shooting.