According to Maine Governor Janet Mills, a total of 18 people were killed and 13 were injured in two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night.
Mills described the situation as a “dark day for Maine” during a press conference.
Reports indicate that the shooting incidents occurred at the Just In Time Recreation bowling alley at around 6:56 p.m. local time, followed by another shooting at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, approximately three miles away.
The person of interest in these shootings has been identified as Robert Card, a 40-year-old trained firearms instructor and member of the U.S. Army Reserves. Law enforcement officials have noted that Card recently reported mental health issues.
Card is currently on the loose and considered “armed and dangerous,” prompting a large-scale search effort by hundreds of officers in the vicinity.
As a precautionary measure, residents in various cities, including Lewiston, Auburn, Lisbon, Lisbon Falls, and Bowdoin, have been instructed to shelter in place.
President Joe Biden spoke with state officials to convey his support and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast until Monday to honor the victims, according to the White House.
In a statement, President Biden expressed his sorrow, stating that the nation is once again grieving and emphasizing that the steps taken for gun safety have been insufficient.
The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group, has identified these mass shootings as the deadliest event of 2023 so far.
Despite this tragic incident, Maine, a rural state with a population of around 1.3 million, maintains one of the lowest homicide rates in the United States, as indicated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
