On a cold morning in Washington County, Maine, the life of 33-year-old Samuel Powers was tragically cut short in a wave of violence that swept through the small communities of Machias and Jonesboro. The date was February 3, 2020, and what began as an ordinary day was shattered by a shooting rampage that would leave three people dead and a fourth seriously injured.
The terrifying sequence of events began to unfold around 10:47 a.m.
when authorities received a 911 call from a residence on Kennebec Road in Machias. Upon their arrival, they discovered one man, Shawn Currey, deceased inside the home and an injured woman outside. Just minutes later, at 11:03 a.m., another frantic 911 call led law enforcement to Roque Bluffs Road in the nearby town of Jonesboro. It was there that they found Samuel Powers, who had been fatally shot. The violence did not end there; a third 911 call at 11:20 a.m. from another location on Kennebec Road in Machias led to the discovery of the third victim, Jennifer Bryant Flynn.
In the midst of the chaos and tragedy, law enforcement received a tip that the suspect was at the American Legion on Court Street in Machias. Responding swiftly, deputies from the Washington County Sheriff's office were able to locate and arrest 63-year-old Thomas Bonfanti of Northfield. He was taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder in connection with the three deaths. Authorities later confirmed that Bonfanti knew the victims and that they believed he acted alone, bringing a swift, though somber, resolution to the immediate threat to the public. A weapon believed to have been used in the shootings was also recovered by the police.
