Robert Card named as Lewiston shooting ‘person of interest’ after ’22 killed and 60 wounded’ in attack in Maine
COPS are hunting for a suspected gunman after at least 22 people were killed and dozens more injured in two shootings that rocked Maine.
Robert Card, 40, has been named as a person of interest after gunfire erupted at a bowling alley and pool hall in Lewiston on Wednesday night.
Armed with an AR 15-style rifle with a laser optic, chilling photos show the gunman dressed in a brown sweatshirt and jeans stalking the bowling alley packed with kids.
Police said Card is still on the loose and should be considered armed and dangerous.
Mike Sauschuck, a law enforcement spokesperson in Lewiston, warned: “If people see him they should not approach him in any way.”
Hundreds of officers are currently searching for him in Lewiston and surrounding towns.
Card is a firearms instructor at a US Army Reserve training facility in Maine, according to a police bulletin.
The document says Card spent two weeks at a mental health facility this summer.
He reported hearing voices and previously threatened to commit a shooting at a military training base in Saco, Maine, according to AP.
The suspect was believed to be driving a 2013 white Subaru Outback, which was later found eight miles from the shooting scenes, in nearby Lisbon.
Cops have swooped on the area, knocking on doors of homes and helicopters surveying the scene.
TWO SITES TARGETED
As many as 22 people have died after shootings at two different locations, NBC News reported, citing law enforcement sources.
Up to 60 others are believed to be injured, though it was unclear if they suffered gunshot wounds.
The shooting is set to be the deadliest in Maine’s history.
Cops declined to give an update on the number of victims at their latest news conference.
The shootings took place at Sparetime Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar and Grille.
The gunman targeted the bowling alley, where a youth event was taking place, at around 7pm local time.
“My ex-husband and my son were playing pool at Schemengees,” one woman told NBC affiliate WCSH.
She heard about the shooting on social media but has learned very little since.
“We’re all waiting, and we’ve heard nothing,” she said.
Nichoel Wyman Arel, who was passing by the bowling alley, said she saw a large number of kids streaming out of the venue, per CNN.
She told the outlet that people were being “patted down” as they left the bowling alley.
Arel said: “Yeah, there were kids, that’s — Like, looking back, like that was probably the hardest part, seeing — just families, families pouring out of there and knowing that that happened in there while they were probably just trying to have a family night.”
Arel, a mom, said her daughter was with her when she passed the bowling alley and revealed the youngster started crying.
The parent revealed that she locked her home when she got home, including her windows.
She said her daughter was “scared” someone would break into their home.
Shots were said to have been fired at a third location, a Walmart distribution center, but a spokesperson said no gunfire took place at the facility.
Central Maine Medical Center put out a call for any available off-duty staff to come to work to help the wounded.
The hospital called the shooting a “mass casualty” event and was coordinating with nearby medical centers to treat victims.
‘STATE OF SHOCK’
The shooting and ensuing manhunt has shaken Lewiston, a town of 37,000 located about 35 miles north of Portland.
At one point, reporters stationed at the hospital were told to take cover as the shooter was believed to possibly be nearby.
“Right now us members of the media are holding in a place behind a wall in front of the hospital while an armed security guard is posted on the sidewalk above us,” a news photographer tweeted.
Melinda Small, owner of Legends Sports Bar and Grill near the bowling alley, told The Associated Press that 25 customers were at her bar when the gunfire began.
“I am honestly in a state of shock. I am blessed that my team responded quickly and everyone is safe,” she told the outlet.
“My heart is broken for this area and for what everyone is dealing with. I just feel numb.”
A shelter-in-place remains in effect for the towns of Lewiston, Auburn, and Lisbon as the manhunt for the shooter continues.
Residents have been urged to stay inside, lock their doors, and avoid being on the roads to keep them clear for law enforcement.
“Please stay off the roads to allow emergency responders access to the hospitals,” cops said.
A reunification center has been established at Auburn Middle School.
Locals were urged to be cautious and stay inside their homes.
Schools in Lewiston, the second largest city in Maine, will be closed on Thursday.
Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque described the shooting as an “absolute tragedy.”
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Attorney General Merrick Garland have all been briefed on the shooting.