A mass shooter went on a horrific attack in Maine on Wednesday night, killing at least 18 people at a bar and bowling alley and sparking a massive manhunt, according to police reports and sources.
More than a dozen people were wounded in two separate shootings in Lewiston, the state’s second-largest city, which was placed under a shelter-in-place order following the bloodshed that began shortly before 7 p.m., the police said. police and sources.
“I still feel like this whole thing is a nightmare,” Kathy Lebel, co-owner of the Schemengees Bar and Grille restaurant, where at least 14 people were shot, told the Sun Journal.
About four hours after initial reports of the shootings in Lewiston, police identified Robert Card, a 40-year-old firearms instructor with past mental health issues, as a person of interest, according to law enforcement sources.
Card, believed to be an Army reservist stationed in Saco, Maine, recently reported that he had “heard voices” and threatened to shoot up the base, according to law enforcement sources.
Police released an image of the suspect Wednesday at a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine.
He was reportedly committed to a mental health facility over the summer and was released after a two-week stay, sources added.
On Wednesday night, Card was believed to be driving a white Subaru Outback, which was located about 8 miles away in Lisbon, Maine, police said.
Lewiston police warned that Card “should be considered armed and dangerous.”
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Lisbon residents were also ordered to shelter in place at home.
Maine State Police advised local residents and businesses to lock their doors and shelter in place.
“Please stay off the streets and allow law enforcement to diffuse the situation,” the state agency warned residents. “If you see any suspicious activity or people, call 911.”
Police identified the possible suspect as Robert Card, according to a report. via REUTERS Police outside the Schemengees bar, one of the places where the mass shooting took place. AFP via Getty Images
During a news conference Wednesday night, authorities provided limited information about the shootings and did not disclose the number of victims.
But the Androscoggin Sheriff’s Office shared two images of the suspect carrying a rifle and said there were “two active shooter events” on its Facebook page.
Emergency personnel were called to separate the shootings at Sparetime Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant, the Sun Journal reported.
A source told the newspaper that at least 14 people inside the restaurant were shot.
The police have released this photo of Card.
Lebel, co-owner of the restaurant, was not working at the time, but said she was told a gunman walked into Schemengees and just “started shooting.”
“It was just a fun night playing cornhole… it’s the last thing you expect, right?” Lebel told the Sun Journal.
Early police reports suggested the gunman may have gone to a third location, a local Walmart distribution center, but those reports were later debunked by a spokesperson for the chain, who said the center was closed as a precaution.
According to the local media, authorities from surrounding cities, from as far away as New Hampshire, were called to provide mutual aid.
Dozens of residents searching for their missing loved ones tried to get answers outside Central Maine Medical Center, the hospital closest to the shooting scene, where staff were “reacting to a mass casualty and mass shooter event,” according to the center’s website.
Armed security guards remained at the hospital’s main entrance for hours to ensure the safety of visitors and patients, News Center Maine reported.
Police in Lewiston, Maine, said the possible suspect was driving a white Subaru Outback. Lewiston Maine Police Department
A woman told the station she had been unable to locate her adult son, who was reportedly shot while playing pool at the Schemengees bar with her ex-husband. She doesn’t know if he is alive or dead.
“My ex-husband and my son were playing pool. And the next thing I knew, I saw on Facebook that there was a shooting at Schemengees, where they were playing,” the woman named Julie told the station outside Central Maine Hospital, where she, her wife and son gathered to wait for answers.
“We’re all waiting and we haven’t learned anything,” he said. “They won’t tell us if he’s alive, if he’s in critical condition, if he passed away…they won’t tell us anything.”
The shootings occurred while Lewiston Public Schools were holding parent-teacher conferences. All schools were closed, the superintendent announced.
The district later announced there would be no school on Thursday.
“There are still many unknowns at this time. Information moves quickly but not always accurately. Please continue to shelter in place or go to safety,” school district officials wrote on Facebook.
“Stay close to your loved ones. Hug them. Our prayers are with those who lost someone tonight. “Our prayers are with all those working to stop further loss of life,” the district added.
Card, the person of interest, studied engineering at the University of Maine from 2001 to 2004, although it is unclear whether he graduated, a school spokesperson told NBC News.
Maine State Police said the armed suspect is believed to be in Lewiston, where the shooting occurred. Police advised local residents and businesses to lock their doors and shelter in place.X / @MarioNawfal
Wednesday’s massacre nearly matches the total number of homicides in the state for all of last year.
There were 29 murders in Maine in 2022, according to state Department of Public Safety statistics cited by NBC News.
Everything we know about the mass shooting in Maine
At least 18 people have been killed and more than a dozen injured after a gunman opened fire at two separate locations in Lewiston, Maine.
Police identified the possible suspect as Robert Card, 40, and believe he may have been driving a white Subaru Outback, which was later located in Lisbon, about 8 miles from the shooting locations, according to CentralMaine.com.
Lisbon residents were also ordered to shelter in place, and authorities warned that Card could be armed and dangerous.
Maine State Police advised local residents and businesses to lock their doors and shelter in place.
The police have released this photo of Card.
On Wednesday night, emergency personnel were called to separate the shootings at Sparetime Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant, according to the Sun Journal.
The death toll almost matches the annual number of homicides in the state of Maine: 29 homicides were reported in 2022.
Lewiston is a city of about 38,000 people nearly 30 miles north of Portland.
President Biden was notified about the mass shooting.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said she has been briefed on the active shooting situation in Lewiston, a city about 36 miles north of Portland.
“I urge everyone in the area to follow the instructions of state and local authorities.” she wrote in. “I will continue to monitor the situation and remain in close contact with public safety officials.”
Police respond to an active shooting situation in Lewiston, Maine.AP Maine Governor Janet Mills said she has been informed about the active shooting situation in Lewiston. Rescuers load a person into an ambulance at the scene of a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, October 25, 2023.Nichoel Wyman Arel via REUTERS
President Biden was also notified of the mass shooting.
“The President has been briefed on what is known so far about the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, and will continue to receive updates,” the White House said.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
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