PORTLAND – A Portland man accused of fatally shooting his younger brother on Thanksgiving afternoon was ordered held without bail Monday after his initial appearance in District Court on a murder charge.

Edmond Davis, 53, was arrested Thursday in the death of Michael Davis, 51, who police said was killed during an argument at their mother’s home in the Morrill’s Corner neighborhood of Portland.

In an affidavit filed with the court, police quoted the suspect as saying that he and his brother had been drinking during the day and got into an argument. Edmond Davis told police he punched his brother after the two began pushing each other.

Davis said he went upstairs to get a loaded handgun after his brother pushed down their 73-year-old mother, Laura Davis. But the mother, in a separate interview with police, denied being pushed.

After the shooting, Edmond Davis repeatedly apologized to his mother and told her that it had to be done, Laura Davis told police.

After she dialed 911 to report the shooting, Edmond Davis got on the phone, identified himself and told the dispatcher that he just shot his brother, according to the affidavit.