'These monsters are sick': ICE shoots man dead in front of 3-year-old daughter in Maine; officials later admit he wasn't the target
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'These monsters are sick': ICE shoots man dead in front of 3-year-old daughter in Maine; officials later admit he wasn't the target")
Anti-ICE protesters attend a vigil for a man that was killed in a shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on July 13, 2026 in Biddeford, Maine. The victim has been identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old man from Colombia. Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP)
A three-year-old girl watched as ICE officers fatally shot her father during an immigration raid in Maine. Hours later, authorities acknowledged he was not the intended target. Here's what happened.
A fatal shooting involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers has triggered fresh scrutiny of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown after authorities confirmed the man killed during an operation in Maine was apparently not the person agents had set out to arrest.
The shooting unfolded early Monday (Jul 13) in Biddeford, where federal agents were attempting to detain someone wanted under a final deportation order. Instead, a 26-year-old Colombian man, identified as Joan Sebastian Guerrero from Colombia, was shot dead by agents. Immigrant rights groups said that Guerrero was legally authorised to work in the United State.
The circumstances surrounding the operation remain under investigation, but the case took a dramatic turn when Senator Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had clarified that the man who died "was not the target of the warrant." King had earlier indicated otherwise before correcting his account.
Also read | Trump brands dead ICE protester Alex Pretti an ‘agitator’ and ‘insurrectionist’ over viral video
Conflicting accounts emerge
Federal authorities say the shooting occurred after officers located a vehicle linked to the address of the person they were seeking. According to ICE, the driver attempted to flee and drove toward an officer, prompting the agent to open fire out of concern for public safety. The FBI and the Maine Attorney General's Office are now investigating the incident, while the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave under standard procedure.
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Witnesses offered a more complex picture of what happened.
Dad of 3-year-old killed in front of her
Daniel Boucher, who lives nearby, told reporters he heard several gunshots before seeing agents pull the injured driver from a white car. "He was bleeding profusely from the head," Boucher recalled, adding that he heard the man say, "I tried to stop."
Videos recorded by bystanders showed officers surrounding a damaged white Kia bearing multiple bullet holes before handcuffing the wounded man as he lay on the ground.
Also read | 'Fu**ing b***h': Disturbing video shows ICE agent mutter crude slur after killing Renee Good
The shooting has drawn particular attention because of the presence of the victim's young daughter. Cecelia Humiston, who witnessed the aftermath, told the Portland Press Herald that she saw a three-year-old girl wearing Bluey pyjamas as family members cried out in disbelief. "You took her dad," one woman repeatedly shouted, according to Humiston.
The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition said the victim had a valid Social Security number and legal authorisation to work in the United States. The group urged investigators to ensure the case is not treated as another statistic linked to immigration enforcement.
Political pressure mounts
The incident has quickly become a political flashpoint. Representative Chellie Pingree demanded answers about why the operation ended in gunfire and questioned whether agents were equipped with body cameras.
Republican Senator Susan Collins called for a "full and impartial investigation", while hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside her Biddeford office carrying signs reading "ICE Out Now" and "I Stand With Immigrants."
The shooting came just days after another ICE operation in Texas ended with the death of a Mexican national who was also later reported not to have been the intended target. On X, Democrats noted that “This is the second time in a week that ICE has killed someone they weren’t even looking for. These monsters are sick.”
