Not less than 16 individuals have been killed Wednesday and dozens injured after a gunman opened hearth in a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, the newest mass killing within the U.S.
Authorities stated the capturing began simply earlier than 7 p.m. Lewiston Police stated that they have been coping with an energetic shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley.
The gunman stays at giant Thursday. Police have warned individuals to be on alert and keep off the streets in Lewiston, the second-largest metropolis in Maine, and different neighboring communities.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Workplace later launched two photographs of the suspect on its Fb web page that confirmed a gunman strolling right into a bowling alley with a weapon raised to his shoulder. Metropolis residents reacted with shock and plenty of companies rushed to shut and lock their doorways upon listening to a gunman was on a rampage.
Melinda Small, the proprietor of Legends Sports activities Bar and Grill, stated her employees instantly locked their doorways and moved all 25 prospects and staff away from the doorways after a buyer reported listening to concerning the capturing on the bowling alley lower than a quarter-mile away round 7 p.m. Quickly, the police flooded the roadway and a police officer finally escorted everybody out of the constructing 4 at a time. Everybody within the bar is protected.
“I’m actually in a state of shock. I’m blessed that my crew responded shortly and everyone seems to be protected,” Small informed The Related Press. “However the identical time, my coronary heart is damaged for this space and for what everyone seems to be coping with. I simply really feel numb.”
The White Home stated President Joe Biden had been briefed on what’s recognized up to now concerning the mass capturing and can proceed to obtain updates.
“The President spoke by telephone individually to Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, and Congressman Jared Golden concerning the capturing in Lewiston, Maine and provided full federal help within the wake of this horrific assault,” the White Home stated in a press release.
A spokesperson for the Maine Division of Public Security urged residents to remain of their houses with their doorways locked.
“Regulation enforcement is at present investigating at two areas proper now,” Shannon Moss stated. “Once more please keep off the streets and permit regulation enforcement to diffuse the state of affairs.”
“We’re encouraging all companies to lock down and or shut whereas we examine,” the sheriff’s workplace introduced.
Lewiston police division names ‘individual of curiosity’
Shortly earlier than 11 p.m. ET, Lewiston police posted on its Fb web page a photograph and the title of a 40-year-old man, Robert Card, who police say is an individual of curiosity. Such a designation often is made for an individual wished for questioning and isn’t thought-about formally as a suspect.
“Regulation Enforcement is making an attempt to find Robert Card 4/4/1983, as an individual of curiosity relating to the mass capturing at Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation this night,” the Fb publish learn. “Card needs to be thought-about armed and harmful. Please contact regulation enforcement if you’re conscious of his whereabouts.
The Related Press, citing a state police bulletin, stated Card is a firearms teacher skilled by the navy and was not too long ago dedicated to a psychological well being facility.
The police intelligence bulletin was being circulated to regulation enforcement officers on Wednesday night time. It says that Card had been skilled as a firearms teacher at a U.S. Military Reserve coaching facility in Maine. The doc says Card had been dedicated to a psychological well being facility for 2 weeks in the summertime of 2023. It didn’t present particular particulars about his therapy or situation.
The doc additionally stated Card had reported listening to voices and had threatened to hold out a capturing on the navy coaching base in Saco, Maine.
Automobile of curiosity present in neighboring city
Throughout a information briefing late Wednesday, Maine Division of Public Security Commissioner Mike Sauschuck stated that Card is taken into account armed and harmful.
A automobile of curiosity was positioned in Lisbon, about 8 miles away from Lewiston, in line with Sauschuck. The shelter-in-place order was prolonged to Lisbon whereas Lewiston and its twin metropolis, Auburn, remained beneath lockdown.
Sauschuck declined to say how many individuals have been killed within the capturing incidents Wednesday.
“This can be a very fluid state of affairs,” he stated.
Faculties shall be closed Thursday
Public colleges in Lewiston shall be closed Thursday, the district’s superintendent introduced Wednesday night time.
“There stays plenty of unknowns presently. Data strikes shortly however not all the time precisely,” Lewiston Public Faculties Superintendent Jake Langlais stated in a press release on the district’s web site. “Please proceed to shelter in place or get to security. We’ll proceed to replace you with info and subsequent steps as acceptable.”
Bates Faculty, a personal liberal arts faculty, is at present on “lockdown and can stay on lockdown till native regulation enforcement advise in any other case,” in line with campus spokesperson Mary Pols.
“We’re targeted on the security and safety of our college students and the campus,” Pols informed USA TODAY.
A number of campus occasions have been canceled and companies close to the campus closed. In an replace late Wednesday, the college stated that the campus would stay open on Thursday however courses could be canceled.
“We all know that these occasions have shocked and frightened our neighborhood. And we grieve for these whose lives have been tragically misplaced on this heinous act of violence,” Geoffrey Swift, vice chairman for finance and administration and treasurer for Bates Faculty, stated in a press release.
The faculty is residence to about 1,800 undergraduate college students, in line with the college’s most up-to-date enrollment information.
Information is creating:For extra updates, join the Night Briefing.
Hospitals react to mass casualty occasion
On its web site, Central Maine Medical Heart stated employees have been “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter occasion” and have been coordinating with space hospitals to absorb sufferers.
Mills stated Wednesday night she was conscious of an energetic shooter state of affairs in Lewiston.
“I urge all individuals within the space to observe the route of State and native enforcement. I’ll to proceed to watch the state of affairs and stay in shut contact with public security officers,” Mills stated.
The Boston Subject Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives posted on X Wednesday night that it was additionally responding to the state of affairs in Lewiston.
Maine Medical Heart, a Stage 1 trauma heart in Portland, has alerted on-call employees and created vital care and working room capability in preparation for potential sufferers from the capturing, the hospital stated in a press release.
The hospital confirmed Wednesday that it was receiving one affected person from the Central Maine Medical Heart.
“Out of an abundance of warning and due the dynamic nature of this case, (Maine Medical Heart) and different MaineHealth hospitals have closed their campuses to non-hospital personnel and non-patients till additional discover,” the hospital stated.
Residents shaken, await phrase on family members
Anne Kinney, a resident of Auburn, Maine, a metropolis about 30 miles northeast of Augusta, Maine, informed the Lewiston Solar Journal that she was selecting up a prescription in Lewiston Wednesday night when she heard blaring over a loudspeaker “telling us that there was an energetic shooter state of affairs and that every one entrance/exit doorways have been being locked.”
Kinney stated staff introduced out chairs for them to sit down in as they sheltered in place. She stated authorities didn’t present extra details about the state of affairs.
Later, a policeman arrived and suggested retailer staff to set free prospects one after the other, to dim the lights, and shut down the store.
Kinney stated she received residence safely however felt “very shaken.”
Late Wednesday, Riley Dumont informed ABC Information that her 11-year-old daughter was bowling in a youngsters’s league at Sparetime Recreation when she heard a number of photographs. Dumont’s father, a retired police officer, moved the household right into a nook.
“I used to be laying on high of my daughter. My mom was laying on high of me,” Dumont informed ABC Information.
Dumont stated she noticed three or 4 obvious victims of the gunfire.
Kathy Lebel, co-owner of Schemengees, the place a number of individuals have been shot, stated she was not on the restaurant on the time of the capturing however was informed that somebody had walked in and “began capturing.” Lebel stated the employees ran out.
“It was only a enjoyable night time enjoying cornhole … it’s the very last thing you’re anticipating, proper?” Lebel informed the information outlet. “I nonetheless really feel like this entire factor is a nightmare.”
She was amongst about two dozen individuals outdoors Central Maine Medical Heart attempting to get extra details about family members, the Solar Journal reported.
Shootings observe lethal assault in April
The capturing incidents late Wednesday are the newest to rock Maine this yr.
In April, a man fatally shot his dad and mom and a pair of their Bowdoin, Maine residence and barn. He then fled to a close-by interstate, the place he fired at passing vehicles and hit three members of one other household.
Since 2006, greater than 560 mass killings have been reported in america, in line with a database stored by USA TODAY, The Related Press, and Northeastern College. Over that point span, no less than 2,900 individuals died.
“No American ought to go away their residence and worry turning into the sufferer of a mass capturing, however tonight, Maine households are grieving from this untold lack of life,” stated Kris Brown, president of gun violence prevention group Brady.
Lewiston’s historical past in New England is peaceable, vibrant, numerous
Lewiston is the second most populous metropolis in Maine and sits between Portland and the state’s capital Augusta. As of 2022, over 38,400 residents stay within the metropolis, which emerged as a significant heart for African immigration into Maine. The Somali inhabitants, which numbers within the hundreds, has modified Lewiston’s demographics into one of the crucial numerous in northern New England.
The town is about 35 miles north of Portland and about 33 miles southwest of Augusta. The realm of Lewiston has roots that date to the seventeenth century, the place it later grew from a small city to a thriving mill metropolis.
The town prides itself on being a spot of alternative, in line with the Lewiston metropolis web site. Lewiston can also be residence to at least one the biggest French-speaking populations in america and is the epicenter for Maine’s Franco-American heritage, in line with the state’s workplace of tourism.
“Vibrant and culturally numerous with a robust sense of neighborhood, Lewiston delivers inexpensive, accessible and considerable alternative,” the Lewiston metropolis web site states.
Mass killing database:Revealing tendencies, particulars and anguish of each US occasion since 2006
Contributing: Joey Garrison, Michael Collins, USA TODAY; The Related Press
