Man shoots friend with BB gun in fight Extra weight may have saved victim’s life

PITTSFIELD – An early morning argument between two roommates over who was going to sleep with a female guest resulted in one man being shot in the face 10 to 15 times with a BB rifle by his friend.

The shooting occurred about 2:15 a.m. on Raymond Street where the two men shared a mobile home. The female guest lived in Hartland, police said.

The victim was treated at Sebasticook Valley Hospital for multiple puncture wounds on his face, chin and neck, according to Pittsfield police Officer Jeff Vanadestine. The officer said the pellets were removed from the victim’s face, teeth, gums and neck. He was released from the hospital later in the morning and Vanadestine said doctors credited the fact that he was carrying a bit of extra weight for saving his life.

“Because of where some of the shots went in around his neck, if he was skinnier, they could have been life-threatening,” Vanadestine said. “He was shot at point-blank range.”

Randy Lake Jr., 22, was arrested by Officer Greg Sides without incident after the shooting and taken to Somerset County Jail where he remained Wednesday under a probation hold.

He was charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and violation of the conditions of release that forbade the use of alcohol.

Vanadestine said Lake and the female guest had been drinking but Murray had not.

Sides was assisted at the scene by Pittsfield Police Chief Steven Emery and Maine State Trooper Christopher Carr.

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