Old Orchard Beach police seized 36 weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition and several bulletproof vests, and charged a local man with aggravated drug trafficking following an investigation into a shooting at a residence on Staples Street on Sunday evening.
Officers went to a home at 20 Staples St. around 5 p.m. to investigate a report of a shooting, Detective Cpl. Jeffrey Regan said in a statement on Monday.
Officers found a man who had suffered a gunshot wound to a leg. Officers applied a tourniquet and took other lifesaving steps until rescue personnel arrived. The victim was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland with non-life-threatening wounds.
Officers saw a “large amount of firearms, ballistic vests and ammunition” stored throughout the home. Officers secured the residence and returned around 10:15 p.m. with a search warrant, Regan said.
In addition to the firearms, ammunition and vests, police seized replicas of police identification, diverted or illicit pharmaceuticals, 165 grams of methamphetamine and more than $13,000 in suspected drug proceeds, investigators said.
Howard T. Rowe, 35, of Old Orchard Beach was arrested and charged with aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs (methamphetamine) and violation of bail. At the time of his arrest, Rowe was on bail for a drug charge. Police said more charges connected to the shooting could be forthcoming.
Old Orchard Beach police did not identify the victim. Police also did not specify whether Rowe lived in the home, or who owned the weapons and ammunition. Rowe was being held without bail at the York County Jail in Alfred on Monday night.
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