A man living in a tiny town on Maine’s border with Canada died on Thanksgiving evening after falling victim to one of his own booby-traps.
Police said Ronald Cyr, 65, called 911 himself to report that he had been shot. The Van Buren Police Department, the Van Buren Ambulance Service, and the US Border Police responded, but Cyr succumbed to his injuries.
“While on scene, Officers discovered that the front door of the residence had been outfitted with a device designed to fire a handgun should anyone attempt to enter the door,” the Van Buren Police Department said. “Other unknown devices were also discovered alarming investigators to contact the Maine State Police Bomb Squad.”
For hours, law enforcement swarmed the 80-foot-long street where Cyr’s house is the only residence.
The Maine State Police, the Maine State Police Bomb Squad, and the Van Buren Police Department, determined Cyr was killed by the “unintentional discharge of one of his homemade devices,” the police department said.
Additional assistance was provided by the Maine Warden Service and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office.
Van Buren, a town of 2,200 people, sits on the St John River across the border from Saint Leonard, New Brunswick.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: Cyr’s house on St Francis Street in Van Buren, Maine/Google Maps]
