Harrison Thorp 12:20 p.m.
Saturday, May 30, 2026 12:20 pm
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MILTON - Police on Friday confirmed that the man shot by Farmington Police Wednesday night on Elm Street did, in fact, have a verified firearm inside his truck.
The initial release early Thursday noted that police said Ryan Cantwell "appeared" to have a firearm in the vehicle, but the second release from a Dept. of Justice made no mention of any weapon.
The confrontation unfolded Wednesday night around 9:45 when officers with the Milton Police Department, Farmington Police Department and New Hampshire State Police were dispatched to 10 Elm St. in Milton in response to a resident's 911 call, according to the Attorney Generals Office.
When police arrived they found a man now identified as Cantwell, 36, barricaded in his pickup truck, which was positioned on the front lawn of the residence at 10 Elm St.
Farmington Police, who responded to the scene as mutual aid, confronted Cantwell, who appeared to have a handgun.
During the officers' interaction with Cantwell multiple gunshots were fired by one or more Farmington Police Officers, investigators say.
Cantwell is currently said to be hospitalized and receiving medical attention for his wounds.
Officers were wearing body cameras at the time of the incident, and that footage is being reviewed by investigators.
One nearby resident told The Rochester Voice on Thursday that multiple gunshots in quick succession woke him up while he was trying to get to sleep.
"It was one right after another, so it was either a semi-automatic or different people shooting at the same time," he said.
Both Milton Elementary School and Nute Junior/Senior High School, which are near the scene, were closed on Thursday due to the shooting.
No further information is expected to be provided until the identity of the officer or officers using deadly force are disclosed following formal interviews, which are expected to occur sometime next week. The circumstances surrounding this incident remain under active investigation.