Palermo man shot on Memorial Day dies of his injuries

PALERMO – Gunshot victim Daniel Walsh died Tuesday evening in a Lewiston hospital. Investigators worked to try to determine what happened to lead to his shooting the night before at his Waldo County home.

Maine State Police spokesman Stephen McCausland said Walsh, 40, of Palermo was shot “at least once in the head” with a .22-caliber pistol just after 7 p.m. Monday.

McCausland said a neighbor, Donald “Larry” Mooney, 36, has said he shot his Nelson Lane neighbor after they spent much of Memorial Day drinking together.

At some point the mood of their visit turned sour and Mooney shot Walsh, according to McCausland.

“At this point Mooney has not been arrested,” McCausland said Tuesday. “He has admitted that he is the person involved. He has been cooperative with us, and he has given us his version of events.”

The shooting occurred at Walsh’s trailer about 7:15 p.m. Monday. Walsh’s wife, Erin, and her three children, ages 13, 10 and 9, had been home most of Monday but had left before the shooting.

McCausland said Mooney apparently was provoked by an unspecified incident that allegedly took place in the Walsh home and involved family members. Mooney was not present during the alleged incident.

“Mooney then went to the home armed with a .22-caliber handgun and there was a confrontation between the two men where several shots were fired,” McCausland said. “Investigators are still working to determine everything that happened on Nelson Lane before, during and after.”

Walsh was employed as a mechanic in Wiscasset. Mooney is disabled because of a work-related injury, McCausland said.

Mooney’s pistol has been recovered and will be the subject of tests at the state police crime lab in Augusta.

“We have had initial discussions with the Attorney General’s Office and we are keeping them abreast of our investigation. If there is any decision on charges, it will be theirs,” McCausland said.