Michael Hayter, a 41-year-old White man, and his partner, Brittney Cockrell, 37, had recently moved their family from Houston, Texas, to Westbrook, Maine. They hoped to raise their two young children, an 11-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter, in a safer place. Family described them as an incredible couple, deeply cherished by their loved ones. Just a few months after their move, their new beginning was shattered by a senseless act of violence.
On the evening of June 19, 2023, the family was in their vehicle in a parking lot near the intersection of Main and Bridge Streets. A man they did not know approached the car and opened fire. Hayter was shot and killed inside the vehicle. As police arrived, they witnessed the gunman shooting Cockrell, who died outside the car. The couple’s children, who were in the back seat, witnessed the entire attack.
The assailant also fired at their son, who managed to avoid injury by ducking.
The shooter attempted to flee on foot, assaulting a 75-year-old man during his escape. However, a group of bystanders quickly intervened, tackling and disarming him until police took him into custody. The suspect was identified as Marcel Lagrange Jr., a 24-year-old from South Portland with a prior criminal record.
Investigators found no connection between Lagrange and the family. Prosecutors later revealed that Lagrange had been rejected by a woman online and had posted a video an hour and a half before the shooting in which he threatened violence. He was indicted by a grand jury on six charges, including two counts of murder for the deaths of Hayter and Cockrell, one count of aggravated attempted murder for shooting at their son, and charges for assault and reckless conduct.
In August 2023, Lagrange pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. However, in September 2025, he reversed his position and pleaded guilty to all charges. In December 2025, a judge sentenced Marcel Lagrange, then 26, to two life sentences for the murders, plus an additional 50 years for the attempted murder of the child. The judge described the killings as premeditated.
