Two communities in Maine were rocked this week when suspected gunman Joseph Eaton suddenly embarked on a shooting rampage – first at a home and then along an interstate.

Maine State Police said that officers were called to a house in the town of Bowdoin on Tuesday morning to find four victims dead from gunshot wounds.

Not long after the grim discovery was made, an assailant randomly opened fire on cars driving along Interstate 295 in nearby Yarmouth.

Three people were shot in the second attack – with one of them now in critical condition. The alleged gunman was taken into custody on the scene.

Here’s what we know so far about Joseph Eaton:

Who is Joseph Eaton?

Joseph Eaton, 34, was arrested over the two incidents – which are believed to be connected. He was charged with four counts of murder over the victims in the home and is being held at Two Bridges Regional Jail.

He has not yet been charged over the highway shootings. He appeared in court on Thursday for the first time since the shootings.

The suspect has been charged with four counts of murder after reportedly shooting and killing his father David Eaton, 66; his mother Cynthia Eaton, 62; and their friends Robert Eger, 72; and Patricia Eger, 62.

The suspect left the Maine Correctional Center in Windham on Friday when he was picked up by his mother, according to the state authorities.

The shooting took place at the home of the Egers. Three of the bodies were found inside the home, while Mr Eaton’s father was found at the property in a “non-attached garage,” according to the authorities.

Not long after the grim discovery was made, an assailant randomly opened fire on cars driving along Interstate 295 in nearby Yarmouth.

Col Bill Ross of Maine State Police identified the three people injured on the highway as 51-year-old Shawn Halsey, 29-year-old Justin Halsey, and 25-year-old Paige Halsey. Ms Halsey remains in critical condition at Maine Medical Center.

Col Ross said there appears to be no connection between the Halsey family and Mr Eaton. Mr Eaton began shooting on the highway because he thought he was being hunted by the police, Col Ross added.

Speaking about the deceased, Col Ross said that “the office of the chief medical examiner determined that all died of gunshot wounds and were determined to be homicides”.

The alleged gunman was taken into custody at the scene, with the two incidents believed to be connected.

Mr Eaton was arrested and charged with four counts of murder over the victims in the home and is being held at Two Bridges Regional Jail. He has not yet been charged over the highway shootings.

Eaton’s lengthy criminal record

Mr Eaton has a lengthy rap sheet going back more than a decade before Tuesday’s shooting spree.

Past convictions include burglary, felony aggravated assault, domestic violence, and violence against a law enforcement officer, as well as possessing a weapon as a felon.

Most recently, he was sentenced to eight months in prison for assault in March 2022. He was then returned to prison for violating his probation.

On Friday, he was released from Maine Correctional Center in Windham – just four days before he allegedly went on his killing rampage.

Based on his felony convictions, he also could not legally own a firearm.

The suspect had spent the last two years in jail, the colonel said.

“Mr Eaton was taken by Major Crimes detectives and Portland police officers to the Portland Police Department where he gave a confession and admitted to killing his parents and his parents’ friends – he admitted to killing his parents David and Cynthia and their friends Robert and Patricia in the residence at 1459 Augusta Road,” he said.

“He had also admitted that he shot vehicles on Interstate 295 because he thought he [was] being followed by police officers,” Col Ross said.

He added that “a few days ago, he was released from Windham Correctional Center, where he was serving about two years for aggravated assault. He was picked up I believe on April 14 at the Windham correctional facility by his mother Cynthia and they drove to the residence in Bowdoin where the murders occurred”.

The authorities didn’t specify when the killings took place – a friend of the Egers discovered the bodies after making several attempts to contact the couple and eventually went over to check in on them.

When asked about the suspect’s living arrangements, Col Ross said, “He’s been in jail for two years and [on] April 14 of this year his mother picked him up at the Wyndham Correctional Facility”.

He added that “his parents were involved in his accommodations”.

Mr Eaton was sentenced in March 2021, according to the director of governmental affairs for the Maine Department of Corrections, Anna Black. He had been serving a sentence after a probation violation, the state official said on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

State records reveal that Mr Eaton has a criminal history which meant that he couldn’t legally own a firearm.

Mr Eaton’s criminal past begins in 2008 in Kansas when he was charged with burglary. He was sentenced in 2009 and released in 2010.

He was sentenced to three years behind bars in May 2018 after being charged with three counts of aggravated assault of a first responder in Nassau County, Florida.

Within a month of being released on 15 February 2021, he was sentenced on 1 March for an assault in Maine.

Mr Eaton has been sent back to jail while he waits to attend a court hearing on Thursday. Officials at the jail said it wasn’t clear if he had a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

Chilling video shared on Facebook

The suspect appears to have posted a sobbing Facebook video speaking about his “trauma” and “being molested” on Monday, The Independent can reveal.

Mr Eaton shared an emotional video of himself online on Monday where he said that people think he is “just another f*** up” and complained about people who “claim to be Christian”.

In the footage, he is seen sitting in a car filming himself as he chokes up with tears and goes on a confusing ramble.

“I’m probably going to get emotional just talking about it,” he said. “But a lot of people look at you and think ‘oh well there’s just another f*** up, another guy that can’t get his stuff together, treats people like s***’ and then they turn around and claim to be Christian. And you can’t forgive somebody or understand what they go through. You can’t give someone a second chance but you say you’re Christian. How does that make sense? Why can’t you just try to get to know the person again? What good’s it do to hate somebody? It destroys you. It’s not the way things were supposed to be done, the way things were made.”

Mr Eaton then went on to say he wants forgiveness for “the things I did” as he said he has had “trauma for a long time”.

“Just need to try to forgive me for the things I did. I’ve been dealing with trauma for a long time on things I don’t talk to people about – being molested and stuff it destroys somebody,” he said. “I know I’m good for my kids. I just wish somebody would forgive me. Some people, I don’t get it.”

Suspect’s grandmother speaks out

Betty Fagan lost her daughter Cynthia Eaton in the shooting, who was the mother of the suspect. Police have not yet commented on a motive for the killings, after which Mr Eaton allegedly opened fire on an interstate.

Ms Eaton had picked up her son from prison on 14 April when he was released after serving a term for aggravated assault.

Ms Eaton and her husband David Eaton, the father of the suspect, were found shot dead at a home in Bowdoin on Tuesday morning along with their friends Robert and Patricia Eger.

Ms Fagan, who lives in Ocala, Florida, said her grandson was taken to a beach after being released from prison, and that he had spent the weekend on his own.

She added that his parents had returned to Maine but that they were planning to move to Kansas, where they had previously lived.

“I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t believe he would do something like that,” she told the AP.

Police haven’t commented on Mr Eaton’s living situation in the four days between his release and subsequent arrest, only saying that his parents were involved.

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