LEWISTON – Three of four men accused of shooting a group of teenagers with pellet guns Thursday night pleaded guilty on Friday and were sent to jail. A fourth man denied the charge against him and was ordered to appear in court in February.

Daniel Bussiere and Michael Minson, both 19, of Auburn, and Jeffrey Demers, 18, of New Gloucester, each pleaded guilty to reckless conduct Friday in Eighth District Court. Each of them was ordered to spend three days in jail.

“They apparently decided to take responsibility for their irresponsible acts,” said Assistant District Attorney Patricia Reynolds Regan.

Frank Demers, 20, of New Gloucester, pleaded not guilty and was ordered to appear in court on Feb. 28 unless he requests a jury trial before then.

The four men were accused of driving around Kennedy Park early Thursday evening and firing at several people with AirSoft guns. One teenager was struck in the face and another was hit in the head by one of the hard, plastic pellets.

Police said the four suspects also hurled loose pellets onto the skateboard park to cause kids there to lose control of their skateboards. No one was seriously hurt. But police said the confrontation escalated when one of the teens who was shot hurled his skateboard through a vehicle window as the shooters drove past.

The shootings and the broken window resulted in a brawl at the Lewiston police compound, across the street from the skateboard park. Police broke up approximately a dozen brawlers and searched the car the suspects had been riding in.

Police seized several AirSoft guns, including an automatic M-16 replica, two pump rifles and several handguns. They also found a canister of 10,000 AirSoft rounds inside the car used by the group of suspects.

Frank Demers was charged with both reckless conduct and disorderly conduct after police said he ran through a line of officers in an attempt to attack one of the teenagers who had been shot. He was released from the Androscoggin County Jail Friday on $250 cash bail.

The Twin Cities area, like the rest of the country, has been vexed recently by teenagers and others with high-powered pellet guns. At least four students have been suspended since October for bringing them to school.

“You’ve got to give these guys credit for taking responsibility,” said police Sgt. Jeff Parshall, adding that Friday’s sentences should send a message to other AirSoft enthusiasts. “If you use these things recklessly, you could go to jail.”