Man Charged With Killing 2-Year-Old Niece, Injuring Two Others In Family Dispute

A man in Maine is under arrest after he allegedly shot three people during a domestic dispute, resulting in the death of his 2-year-old niece.

Andrew Huber-Young, 19, was taken into custody on Sunday, one day after Maine State Police said he shot three people at a Wells, Maine, residence. Two males were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while the suspect’s toddler niece, Octavia Huber-Young, died as a result of her injuries after being LifeFlighted to a local hospital.

While authorities didn’t name the two injured men, the child’s maternal uncle, Craig Higgins, told the Portland Press Herald that the two men are the toddler’s father and paternal grandfather.

Andrew Huber-Young is reportedly the brother of Octavia’s father, Ethan Huber-Young.

Higgins reflected on his time with his young niece, telling the Press Herald she was just learning how to talk.

“She was starting to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ She tried to say ‘uncle’ but wasn’t able to get that out yet,” said Higgins. “We were working on that.”

According to Higgins, his sister was separated from Octavia’s father, Ethan. Ethan and Andrew reportedly lived at their parents’ Wells home when their parents allegedly tried kicking Andrew out of the house for unknown reasons.

Higgins said Andrew left the residence and returned with a gun at around 4:20 p.m.

Ethan was holding his daughter when Andrew allegedly opened fire, resulting in his being shot in the arm and shoulder. Higgins said the child's grandfather was shot in the face. 

“All I know is she was full of life, and she always loved to smile and play,” Octavia’s mother told CBS Portland affiliate WGME. “She always wanted to be like her older sister.”

Maine State Police spokesperson Shanon Moss also spoke to the CBS affiliate about the weekend tragedy.

“Anytime you have a family that’s been involved in a shooting, [it’s] a tragedy,” Moss stated. “And it affects not only the great family, friends, a neighborhood, and a community.”

The victim’s mother, identified by the Press Herald as Samantha Higgins, was working at a Kittery nursing home when the shooting took place. Her coworkers at the Durgin Pines retirement community created a GoFundMe page, noting that Octavia’s mother is expecting another child.

Higgins told the Press Herald he’d babysat Octavia during the week, saying she was “absolutely a peach.” He further expressed his grief during a Facebook post that has since been unpublished, as noted by the publication.

“Octavia was such a precious little girl,” Higgins wrote. “A piece of me died with her today. I have lost all faith in humanity. There is just too much hatred and not enough love in the world.”

Maine State Police and Wells Police say Andrew Huber-Young is charged with murder, though they expect to add more charges as the investigation continues. The suspect is currently booked at the York County Jail.