Who is Michael Bowden? Maine teen arrested after posting threatening rifle photo with 'Lewiston part 2' caption
LEWISTON, MAINE: A Maine teenager, Michael Bowden, found himself in legal trouble after posting a menacing Snapchat image that raised concerns among law enforcement and the local community.
The 18-year-old, who was previously employed at Walmart, captured a photograph of himself with a hunting rifle and ammunition in the vicinity of his former workplace, accompanied by the caption "Lewiston part 2."
What are the charges against Michael Bowden?
The Somerset County Sheriff's Office charged Bowden with misdemeanor domestic violence terrorizing and felony aggravated reckless conduct.
In the image shared on Snapchat, Bowden can be seen brandishing a Savage bolt-action rifle in the parking lot of the Palmyra Walmart. Chief Deputy Mike Mitchell of the Somerset County Sheriff's office noted, "You can also see a bullet in his lap" in the photograph, adding to the concerns raised by the menacing post, reported Kennebec Journal.
It's worth mentioning that Bowden had been terminated from his position at the store in 2021.
Concerns over Michael Bowden's repeated Walmart visits
What intensified the alarm was the frequency of Bowden's presence outside the Walmart, with reports indicating that he had been showing up on a nightly basis, including the Saturday, October 28, preceding his arrest.
In light of the broader context, Chief Deputy Mitchell emphasized, “We take this stuff very serious [sic]. You have to nowadays,”
The Snapchat post, which was brought to the attention of law enforcement officials on a Sunday, followed closely on the heels of a tragic incident involving Robert Card, a US Army reservist who went on a shooting spree in Lewiston, resulting in 18 fatalities and injuring 13.
Card was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, concluding a two-day manhunt.
Following his arrest at his residence in Etna, authorities confiscated the rifle featured in the Snapchat image. Bowden was subsequently booked into the county jail but released on $10,000 bail on Tuesday, as reported by Bangor Daily News.
He is scheduled for an initial court appearance on January 3, 2024, as the legal process unfolds.