A gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday evening, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others. The attacks occurred at Sparetime Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees restaurant, sparking a massive police manhunt that is still ongoing.
Police have named Robert Card, a 40-year-old US Army reservist, as a person of interest and described him as 'armed and dangerous'. Authorities have released images of Card, a bearded man in a brown sweater carrying a firearm, and are asking the public for help in locating him. A white vehicle believed to be linked to the suspect was found in Lisbon, about seven miles from Lewiston.
Witnesses described scenes of terror. Riley Dumont told ABC News she was at the bowling alley with her 11-year-old daughter when the shooting began. 'I was laying on top of my daughter,' she said. 'My mother was laying on top of me.' Billie Jayne Cooke, a city council candidate, told the BBC she had never seen such activity in the city, with helicopters, sirens, and police from across the state responding.
According to a state police bulletin, Card is a firearms instructor who trained at a military facility in Saco, Maine. He reportedly spent time in a mental health centre in the summer of 2023 and had threatened to commit a shooting at a military base. The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office has released images of Card and the vehicle, urging anyone with information to contact police.
Residents in Lewiston and the nearby towns of Lisbon, Bowdoin, and Auburn have been told to stay indoors. Schools in Lewiston will be closed on Thursday. President Joe Biden has spoken with Maine Governor Janet Mills and other state officials, offering federal support. The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department are monitoring the situation and assisting local law enforcement.
