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September 5, 2010

Gardiner man charged with shooting girlfriend

Police decline to discuss a motive for the attack, in which a local woman was shot in the stomach.

By KEITH EDWARDS Kennebec Journal

GARDINER - A local man has been arrested for allegedly shooting his live-in girlfriend in the stomach.

Gardiner police arrested Kenneth L. Sirmans, 40, Friday night and charged him with aggravated assault and aggravated reckless conduct, both felonies.

Police received a 911 call from Sirmans around 2:30 p.m. Friday, according to Chief James Toman. Police responded within a minute and found Allison Wainwright, 40, had been shot once in the stomach with a handgun. The gun was recovered at the scene.

The shooting occurred in the upstairs living room of the 25 Washington Ave. apartment Sirmans and Wainwright shared. Sirmans was still on the phone with a dispatcher when police arrived.

Wainwright was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where she underwent surgery Friday.

Toman said a detective visited Wainwright on Saturday morning and said she was resting and recovering.

Sirmans was taken to the Kennebec County jail, with bail set at $500,000. Jail officials said Saturday afternoon he was still there.

Toman said the two had a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, and that they were the only two present at the time of the shooting. He declined to discuss a motive for the crime.

Toman said children believed to live at the apartment are staying with a family member.

Gardiner and Maine State Police are investigating. Toman said the investigation is "85 percent" complete, with some evidence remaining to be collected and a few interviews left to conduct.

Toman said he was not aware of any protection orders taken out by Wainwright.

The district attorney's office recommended the charges against Sirmans but may file additional or different charges when the investigation is complete, Toman said.

 

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