An unidentified shooter points a gun while entering Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston, Maine. Photo / AP
A man shot and killed up to 22 people at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday (US time) and then fled into the night, sparking a massive search by hundreds of officers while frightened residents stayed locked in their homes.
A police bulletin identified
Fox News reported that at least 22 people are dead, according to law enforcement sources. City Councillor Robert McCarthy confirmed to CNN that the death toll had risen to 22 with “many, many more injured”, reportedly up to 60 people.
Card was described as a firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine.
The document, circulated to law enforcement officials, said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base.
A telephone number listed for Card in public records was not in service.
Lewiston Police said in an earlier Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley about 6.4km away.
One bowler, who identified himself only as Brandon, said he heard about 10 shots, thinking the first was a balloon popping.
”I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon - he was holding a weapon - I just booked it,” he told The Associated Press.
Brandon said he scrambled down the length of the alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing up to hide in the machinery. He was among a busload of survivors who were driven to a middle school in the neighbouring city of Auburn to be reunited with family and friends.
“I was putting on my bowling shoes when it started. I’ve been barefoot for five hours,” he said.
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. Soon, the police flooded the roadway and a police officer eventually escorted everyone out of the building.
”I am honestly in a state of shock. I am blessed that my team responded quickly and everyone is safe,” Small said.
“But the same time, my heart is broken for this area and for what everyone is dealing with. I just feel numb.”
After the shooting, police, many armed with rifles, took up positions while the city descended into eerie quiet - punctuated by occasional sirens - as people hunkered down at home.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed the shooter walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulder.
There is an active shooter in Lewiston. We ask people to shelter in place. Please stay inside your home with the doors locked. Law enforcement is currently investigating at multiple locations. If you see any suspicious activity or individuals please call 911. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/RrGMG6AvSI
— Maine State Police (@MEStatePolice) October 26, 2023
Two law enforcement officials told The AP that at least 16 people were killed and the toll was expected to rise.
Fox News and CNN reported at least 22 people had died, with up to 60 injured.
However, Michael Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, declined to provide a specific estimate at a news conference, calling it a “fluid situation”.
The two law enforcement officials said dozens of people also had been wounded. The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
On its website, Central Maine Medical Centre said staff were “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event” and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients. The hospital was locked down and police, some armed with rifles, stood by the entrances.
Meanwhile, hospitals as far away as Portland, about 56km to the south, were on alert to potentially receive victims.
An order for residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets of the city of 37,000 was extended Wednesday night from Lewiston to Lisbon, about 13km away, after a “vehicle of interest” was found there, authorities said.
Governor Janet Mills released a statement echoing instructions for people to shelter. She said she had been briefed on the situation and would remain in close contact with public safety officials.
President Joe Biden spoke by phone to Mills and the state’s Senate and House members, offering “full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack”, a White House statement said.
Maine Sen.ator Angus King, an independent, said he was “deeply sad for the city of Lewiston and all those worried about their family, friends and neighbours” and was monitoring the situation. King’s office said the senator would be headed directly home to Maine on the first flight possible.
Local schools will be closed on Thursday and people should shelter in place or seek safety, Superintendent Jake Langlais said, adding: “Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them.”
Wednesday’s death toll was staggering for a state that in 2022 had 29 homicides the entire year. Maine doesn’t require permits to carry guns, and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership that is tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting.
Some recent attempts by gun control advocates to tighten the state’s gun laws have failed. Proposals to require background checks for private gun sales and create a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases failed earlier this year.
Proposals that focused on school security and banning bump stocks failed in 2019.
State residents have also voted down some attempts to tighten gun laws in Maine. A proposal to require background checks for gun sales failed in a 2016 public vote.
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