FARMINGTON — State police have charged a 23-year-old New Jersey man in the shooting death of his friend, according to a release issued by the Maine State Police.
Ryan Ouimet, of Coltsneck, N.J., has been charged with manslaughter in the death of Andrew Holland, 23. Holland was from Cape Elizabeth.
The charges were upgraded Wednesday afternoon from elevated aggravated assault to manslaughter after consultation with the Attorney General’s Office, according to a press release issued by the Maine State Police this afternoon.
Holland died after he was shot inside an apartment at 117 High St. in Farmington of Caroline Halloran, of Acton, Mass., on Tuesday night, according to the press release issued by Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesman Stephen McCausland.
The handgun involved in the incident belonged to Ouimet, according to police.
Holland was rushed by ambulance to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington where he died, according the release.
Both Ouimet and Holland are 2011 graduates from the University of Maine at Farmington and were working together at Mount Vernon restaurant.
Ouimet earned a bachelor’s of fine arts in creative writing and Holland graduated with a general studies degree with a concentration in education. Holland appears to have been a frequent Dean’s List student, according to the university’s website.
“A team of State Police detectives joined Farmington Police overnight investigating the circumstances and that work will continue today,” the release stated. The gun will be taken to the State Police crime lab for testing.
An autopsy on Holland has been scheduled on Thursday by the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Ouimet was released this afternoon on $10,000 bail from Franklin County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in Franklin Superior Court on June 8.
Another recent UMF graduate who attended classes with Ouimet said it was shock to learn he was involved in Holland’s death. The student said she wasn’t close friends with Ouimet but in class he seemed to be gentle and kind person.
“So yeah, it’s totally shocking,” she said.
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- Ryan Ouimet, 23, of Coltsneck, N.J., has been charged with elevated aggravated assault in the shooting death of Andrew Holland, 23, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
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- A young man was shot Tuesday night in a third-floor unit at Monique Apartments on the corner of High and Church streets in downtown Farmington. He later died at Franklin Memorial Hospital.
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- Andrew Holland
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