Maine Man Charged With Murder for Shooting Death in Canada

A Maine man is charged with murder for the death of a man in New Brunswick, Canada.

Who Is the Suspect From Maine?

Keith Martin, 47, of Maine is charged with second degree murder in connection with the death of Mark Mitchell, 48, of Esgneoopetitj First Nation, New Brunswick. Esgneoopetitj First Nation (Burnt Church) is a Mi'kmaq First Nation band government in New Brunswick, Canada. It covers two Indigenous reserves in Northumberland County and two reserves in Gloucester County.

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What Do We Know About the Incident?

The charges stem from an incident on September 5th, 2024 when an alert message was issued just before 4pm cautioning residents of the Esgneoopetitj First Nation to shelter in place with their doors locked and for others to avoid the area. According to a release from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the alert was issued after Mitchell was found dead and another man was found injured, following a firearm-related incident. Officials said they were looking for a Maine man who was believed to be carrying a gun 'with dangerous intent.'

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The alert stayed in effect until just after 1:00 on the afternoon of September 6th. At that point, Martin was still at large and officials were urged to contact authorities if they had any information on his location. It was about an hour and a half later when the New Brunswick RCMP confirmed they had arrested the suspect.

Have Police Commented on a Motive For the Murder?

Martin is scheduled to make his next appearance in court on September 11 2024. There's no information available about a motive for the shooting or whether the three men knew each other.

We'll update this story as more details become available.