Another mass shooting has rocked the US, with the ongoing situation reported as the deadliest shooting since 2019. At least 22 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in the city of Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday evening.
Police are still hunting for the shooter, telling residents to shelter-in-place. A reunification area has been set up at a local Middle School where people are being told to gather if they can’t locate a loved one.
The situation unfolded at a local bowling alley, with reports of shots fired at additional locations, including a local bar, according to law enforcement sources.
A person-of-interest has been identified as 40-year-old Robert Card, with police writing on Facebook that he should be “considered armed and dangerous”. Police earlier posted photos of the suspect asking the public for help in identifying him– the images showed a bearded man in a brown hooded jacket and jeans holding a rifle.
Lewiston, Maine has a population of 38,000 and sits just between the state capital, Augusta, and the most populous city, Portland.
“There’s no large cities in Maine, so this isn’t like being in Dallas or New York City. It’s a very tight-knit community in spite of the fact that it’s a city,” said Democratic Representative for Maine, Chellie Pingree.
“I’m just sure there’s an enormous number of grieving families.”
“People who went out bowling or went out to eat and didn’t expect anything like this to happen,” she said about the tragedy.
As the US reckons with its intense gun violence issues, this is the 565th mass shooting in the US this year, despite it being the 298th day of 2023. That means, on average, the country has seen 1.9 mass shootings per day.
Maine’s governor Janet Mills responded to the horrific incident, telling people to “follow the direction of State and local enforcement”. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Mills said she’s continuing “to monitor the situation and remain in close contact with public safety officials”.
I am aware of and have been briefed on the active shooter situation in Lewiston. I urge all people in the area to follow the direction of State and local enforcement. I will to continue to monitor the situation and remain in close contact with public safety officials. https://t.co/rYV26URqUl
— Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) October 26, 2023
Hundreds of officers continue to search for the shooter as the manhunt enters its sixth hour.
In a statement Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said he’s “heartbroken” for the city, and that “Lewiston is known for our strength and grit and we will need both in the days to come”.