GORHAM — Investigators say they do not believe the 14-year-old who allegedly was trying to set fire to a Gorham home’s deck shortly before he was shot by the homeowner is the same person who was setting fire to vacant buildings in town this spring.

The boy was allegedly trying to set fire to the deck of a house at 8 Mountview Drive at 11:45 p.m. Friday when the homeowner shot him with a shotgun, authorities said. The boy’s injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

A series of six suspicious fires between March 27 and April 18 targeted vacant buildings, mostly in the north end of town, and involved an accelerant like gasoline. This building, on the southern end of town, was occupied and the technique the boy used to try to set fire to the deck was not the same, authorities said. The 14-year-old, who police have not identified, was unsuccessful in trying to get the fire started.

The incident Friday night may have stemmed from a dispute between the 14-year-old and a juvenile who lives at that address, authorities said.

Police did not release the names of the homeowner or a witness to the incident. According to tax records, the home is owned by Craig Bassingthwaite, a Gorham Grizzlies football coach and board member of the Gorham Football Boosters.

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