Advocates urge early mental health intervention after Sabattus shooting

HALLOWELL, Maine — Maine mental health advocates hope more conversations about care and support emerge after a deadly shooting in Sabattus left three people dead, including the gunman. 

According to Maine State Police, on Wednesday, James Davis III shot and killed his mother, Christine Smith, and Katherine Williams, who was driving on the road in a separate vehicle at the time. Two others suffered gunshot wounds, but they are expected to recover. Davis then shot and killed himself.

Mass casualty incidents often begin when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis. They can lead to violence, injuries, deaths, and some end in suicide.

Maine State Police Col. Bill Ross said Wednesday’s random acts of violence fit that description.

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“What we know from interviewing family members is that he was definitely in some type of mental health crisis that day,” Ross said.

While Davis’ mother was likely unaware of how things would escalate, she was likely aware of his mental health struggles. Family members told police Davis had been acting erratically for much of the day, and he had several guns with him, Ross said.

“He had those guns when he arrived at the father’s house,” Ross said. “He had them with him all day. He had them with him when he got into his father’s truck, when he got in his mother’s truck, and based on interviews that we’ve had, there was no discussion of removing those guns or calling the police.”

Community members familiar with the family said Davis’ mental health had been spiraling for a while.

“They were aware. This had been something that had been challenging for them for a while now,” someone familiar with the family said.

Mental health professionals from the Maine chapter of the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) said while they can’t speak to this case, seeking help early is critical. 

Libby Wright, NAMI Maine’s program director, said it’s important to practice regular self-care routines like therapy. Those routines become prevention mechanisms that create strong foundations people can fall back on when a mental health crisis arises.

“If we recognize that someone’s behaviors, appearance, moods, thoughts, are drastically different than they have been, encourage them to reach out to the NAMI Maine helpline,” Wright said.

Prevention, intervention, and support are three key factors Wright said are vital to supporting someone who is dealing with a mental health crisis.

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“We don’t want you to get to a place where you’re struggling and that’s when you’re reaching out for help,” Wright said. “Often when somebody is struggling, or a problem arises, tunnel vision can happen where they can only see the problem in front of them and not the resources around them. You don’t have to wait for signs. So often, people think of therapy as something that you go to when you’re already struggling. No. Therapy is a support. So, that is something to help you not get to a place where you’re struggling, and I think that is a conversation that needs to happen more.”

Ensuring that people know where to find mental health resources is also crucial.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and you don’t know where to turn, NAMI Maine offers an online database that shows you what mental health resources are available in your area. 

To access the online database, click here. 

If you need immediate help, you can call or text the 988 mental health crisis hotline for support.

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