A Thomaston woman has died three days after she was accidentally shot by her fiance in the parking lot of the Shaw’s supermarket in Bath while he was showing a handgun to a prospective buyer.
Chelsea Jones, 22, had been in critical condition at Maine Medical Center in Portland since the shooting just before 4 p.m. Monday.
“We are so sad to share that today Chelsea succumbed to her injuries. She leaves behind two beautiful children and a large grieving family,” said an entry on the gofundme site created to help with expenses related to Jones’ medical procedures and her children. An autopsy on Jones is scheduled for Friday.
The gofundme site says the money that’s raised will go toward a memorial service and caring for her children, Kyleigh and Jordan.
Jones’ fiance, Dylan Grubbs, 23, of Thomaston, has been cooperating with the investigation and has not been charged, said Maine State Police spokesman Stephen McCausland. The investigation is continuing, he said.
Grubbs’ father, Dale Grubbs, said his son does not want to comment right now.
“There are two little kids involved in this tragedy … two little kids who have lost their mother,” Dale Grubbs said. “(My son) doesn’t want to talk to the media. He needs to get his head around this and he’s focused on trying to raise two little kids.”
Grubbs and Jones had driven to the Shaw’s parking lot to meet a man interested in buying the handgun. Grubbs had gotten out of the couple’s SUV and was showing his 9 mm Taurus pistol to the buyer when it went off and the bullet hit Jones, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, McCausland said.
Police are trying to determine the events that caused the gun to be fired and will probably have to interview Grubbs again, McCausland said.
The prospective buyer has not been publicly identified because he is a witness in the case, McCausland said. There appears to be nothing inappropriate in the planned sale, he said.
The gun has been taken to the state police crime lab in Augusta for analysis.
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