In the early hours of Friday, March 20, 2026, a 22-year-old Black / African American woman named Maliyah Powell was shot and killed in Lewiston, Maine. The incident, which has been ruled a homicide, cut short a life that was remembered for its compassion and determination to help others.
The chain of events began to unfold at approximately 1:26 a.m. when the Lewiston-Auburn Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a shooting on Union Street.
Lewiston Police were the first to respond to the scene, where they found Powell suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical services transported her to Central Maine Medical Center, but she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
As the investigation into the shooting commenced, the Maine State Police were called in to assist the Lewiston Police Department. Detectives and evidence response technicians from the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South spent the morning processing the scene. Their work led to the arrest of 25-year-old Elise Bergeron of Lewiston, who has been charged with murder in connection with Powell's death. Bergeron was subsequently transported to the Androscoggin County Jail and was later ordered to be held without bail.
According to reports, the shooting followed a verbal altercation that escalated into a physical fight. The investigation remains active and ongoing, with law enforcement asking anyone with information to come forward.
Maliyah Powell was a 2024 graduate of Wayfinder Schools, an alternative high school. School officials remembered her as "a bright light who was full of compassion and fierce determination." Her graduation project involved securing donations for the unhoused population in Lewiston, and she had expressed a desire to study social work to continue making a difference in people's lives. Her community is left to mourn the loss of a young woman who was dedicated to helping others.
