Police said there was no danger to the public as detectives processed the scene.
PORTLAND, ME — Portland police investigated a death Monday at a Shalom House group home on Woodford Street, where officials confirmed a crime scene inside the building and residents were removed by ladder to avoid the area.
The investigation drew a large police and fire response to 503 Woodford St., near Rosemont Avenue, in a residential section of the city. Police said detectives from the Criminal Investigations Division and evidence technicians were processing the scene. Shalom House later confirmed that one of its employees died in what it called a tragic incident involving violence.
Officers responded late Monday morning to the property, which is run by Shalom House, a Portland nonprofit that provides housing and support services for adults with mental illness. Police Chief Mark Dubois confirmed that the crime scene was in a back hallway of the home. “This is so devastating,” Mesvhack Tshov, a resident support worker at Shalom House, said after coming to the scene on his day off. “I can’t even think of that, so it’s very hard for me.”
Several Portland police cruisers, a mobile crime scene van and a fire engine were seen outside the home as investigators worked through the afternoon. Residents who were still inside the building were taken out through a second-floor window with help from a Portland fire ladder truck. Police said that step was taken so residents would not have to walk through the active crime scene in the hallway. Investigators with the Maine Attorney General’s Office also were seen at the property.
Police had not released the name of the person who died, the cause of death or whether anyone had been charged by Monday night. Shalom House said in a statement through its attorney that its focus was on the employee’s family, staff members and clients. “Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with our employee’s family and her large community of friends, which includes her Shalom House community,” the organization said.
The Woodford Street property sits near the corner of Woodford Street and Rosemont Avenue, less than a mile from Deering High School, Longfellow Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School. The area is lined with homes and is close to Brighton Avenue, one of Portland’s main roads. Neighbors watched from porches as police tape blocked part of the property and officers moved around the building.
Shalom House operates group homes and supported apartment buildings in Portland and serves people living with mental illness. The nonprofit has said it supports about 1,300 clients with housing each day and operates 13 group homes and supported apartment buildings. The Woodford Street response placed that work under sudden public attention as police treated the home as a crime scene and staff helped displaced clients move to other facilities.
Police said there was no danger to the public as the investigation continued. The department did not announce charges, an arrest or a suspect in its initial updates. Detectives and evidence technicians remained focused on the interior scene and the surrounding property, while officials said more information would be released as the investigation progressed.
The case remained under investigation Monday night. The next public milestone is expected to come from Portland police, who said additional details would be shared when investigators are ready to release them.
Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.