Van Buren Man Shot, Killed by His Own Homemade Security System

A Van Buren man died after being shot by his own, homemade security system.

Van Buren Police reported on the department's Facebook page that officers were called to the home of Ronald Cyr during the early evening hours on Thanksgiving after the 65-year-old man called 911 to report that he'd been shot. Upon arrival, they learned that Cyr has died of his injuries.

After checking out the man's home, they discovered that the front door of the St. Francis Avenue residence had been outfitted with a device that was designed to fire a handgun at anyone who tried to enter through the door. Other unknown devices were also discovered, prompting police to contact the Maine State Police Bomb Squad. After an extensive investigation, it was determined that Cyr had been accidentally shot as the result of the unintentional discharge of one of the homemade devices.

The Van Buren Police Department was helped at the scene by the Maine Warden Service, Maine State Police, Border Patrol, and the Aroostook County Sheriff's office.