On the afternoon of July 30, 2017, 20-year-old Chance Edward Gallant of Sebago, Maine, was killed by a single gunshot to the chest at a gravel pit off Carl Burnell Road in Baldwin. He had been at the site with five friends for target practice when a rifle being handled by two people jammed and discharged as they tried to clear the malfunction; Gallant reportedly walked over to help and was struck. Emergency crews, including Sebago Rescue and a Life Flight team, worked for more than an hour but Gallant died at the scene.

A 2014 Lake Region High School graduate who had trained in fire science, Gallant was a volunteer firefighter and EMT and was remembered as a responsible, safety-conscious gun owner. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Maine State Police investigated and said they found no evidence of foul play, alcohol, or drugs, calling the incident an accident. No charges had been filed immediately after the shooting; the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office was set to review the case.

If anyone who knew Chance or was at the gravel pit that day has additional information, please share it with investigators.