Maine police kill armed man after a night of gunfire and burned homes

A Maine State Police tactical team fatally shot a man on a rooftop early Saturday after an hourslong standoff in which authorities said he opened fire at officers, two homes burned down and a person who fought with him apparently died.

A Maine State Police tactical team fatally shot a man on a rooftop early Saturday after an hourslong standoff in which authorities said he opened fire at officers, two homes burned down and a person who fought with him apparently died.

Police issued a shelter-in-place order, evacuated homes and closed a section of the street in Auburn, trigging memories of the mass shooting in neighboring Lewiston less than eight months ago, when a gunman killed 18 people and injured 13 others in the deadliest shooting in Maine's history.

“It’s been an intense and tragic morning here in Auburn,” said Timothy Cougle, the city's deputy chief of police, “especially in light of the events that took place this past October.”

Fire investigators later Saturday said human remains were found in the charred wreckage of the home and had yet to be identified.

Police said Leein Hinkley, 43, had been released on bail days earlier on a probation violation. He tried to break into a home just before 1 a.m. Saturday, and got into a fight with a man inside. A woman called 911 and fled through a window when she heard gunshots.

Auburn police officers found the woman hiding down the street about 10 minutes later, and she identified the person who broke in as Hinkley. Officers heard yelling inside the house and saw flames coming from the windows and engulfing the building.

The deputy chief said Hinkley fired shots at officers several times and was heard yelling at them from inside, and Auburn police called for the tactical team.