The residents of Lewiston, Maine are in shock after a mass shooting left at least 16 people dead and dozens more injured. The man identified as a person of interest in the shooting is Robert Card, a firearms instructor trained by the U.S. Army Reserve. According to a state police bulletin, Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023 and had reported hearing voices and threatening to carry out a shooting at the military training base in Saco, Maine.
The shootings occurred at a local bowling alley and bar in Lewiston, a city of about 36,000 people located 56 kilometers north of Portland. The suspect remains at large and authorities have ordered residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets.
Central Maine Medical Center said staff were “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event” and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients. The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed a shooter walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to their shoulder.
Melinda Small, the owner of Legends Sports Bar and Grill, said her staff immediately locked their doors and moved all 25 customers and employees away from the doors after a customer reported hearing about the shooting at the bowling alley less than a quarter-mile away around 7 p.m. Everyone in the bar is safe.
“I am honestly in a state of shock. I am blessed that my team responded quickly and everyone is safe,” Small told The Associated Press. “But the same time, my heart is broken for this area and for what everyone is dealing with. I just feel numb.”
The alert for Lewiston was made shortly after 8 p.m. as the sheriff’s office reported that law enforcement agencies were investigating “two active shooter events.” Officials issued an update around 10 p.m. on their search.
“Please stay off the roads to allow emergency responders access to the hospitals,” police said. “We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate.”
A spokesperson for Maine Department of Public Safety urged residents to stay in their homes with their doors locked. Gov. Janet Mills released a statement echoing those instructions and said she has been briefed on the situation and will remain in close contact with public safety officials. President Joe Biden had spoken by phone to Mills and the state’s Congress members, offering “full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” a White House statement said.
Local schools will be closed Thursday and people should shelter in place or seek safety, Superintendent Jake Langlais said, adding: “Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them.”
The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of support from the community. Lewiston Mayor Kristen Cloutier said in a statement that the city has been “rocked by a senseless act of violence” and asked for people to come together and “support one another in this difficult time.”
“I ask that everyone keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers,” Cloutier said. “The City of Lewiston is a strong and resilient community and I know that we will get through this together.”
The Lewiston Police Department has set up a hotline for those affected by the shooting and are offering counseling services. The department is also asking for donations to help those affected by the tragedy.
The shooting has left the city of Lewiston in a state of shock and mourning. While the investigation is ongoing, the community is coming together to support those affected and to ensure that justice is served.
