It is with deep sorrow that we report the untimely passing of James Ford, a resident of North Windham, Maine, who tragically passed away by suicide following his alleged involvement in a shooting incident. The heartbreaking events unfolded on Friday, August 15, 2025, leaving the community in shock and mourning.
According to law enforcement authorities, police and deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded just before 2 p.m. on that Friday to reports of a shooting along Route 302 in North Windham. One person was confirmed injured in the incident. James Ford is identified as the suspected gunman. Following the shooting, he fled in a silver vehicle, prompting an urgent and widespread hours-long manhunt instigated by local law enforcement.
Residents between Route 85 in Raymond to Whites Bridge Road in Windham were instructed to shelter in place, as the suspect’s location and movements remained uncertain. Many businesses across North Windham voluntarily locked down for public safety. Eventually, authorities located the suspect’s vehicle parked in a Dunkin’ parking lot in Raymond, but searches continued throughout the evening.
During a press briefing that evening, authorities confirmed that James Ford was found deceased from a self-inflicted injury. With his passing, they stated there was no further threat to the public.
The community grapples with a complex mix of grief and confusion. Ford’s actions left a single injured person and shattered a sense of security across the area. Yet his death by suicide adds a deeply tragic and sensitive dimension to the incident—raising concerns about mental health, the pressures that drive individuals to such extremes, and how communities confront such dual heartbreak.
While this obituary cannot fill the many gaps left by the abrupt end to James Ford’s life—his family, career, personal history, or community ties remain undisclosed—it nevertheless marks the somber facts of this tragedy. Ford’s passing came amid a volatile and frightening day for Windham residents, shifting from fear of a violent threat to the somber reality that he had taken his own life.
As the dust settles, the town of Windham must now reckon with both a violent encounter and the sad circumstances of the shooter’s death. The dual nature of this tragedy—both as a public safety crisis and an act of self-harm—can complicate the mourning process. In honoring the victims, communities may also be prompted to extend compassion, understanding, and mental health support even in the most painful of stories.
