Gov. DeWine orders flags lowered for victims of Maine mass shootings

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Flags across the state will be lowered in honor of the victims of two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, Gov. Mike DeWine announced.

Hours after news broke that a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and restaurant in Maine's second-largest city, DeWine announced Thursday that all Ohio and U.S. flags on public land will fly at half-staff through Monday at sunset. The directive follows an order issued by President Joe Biden.

As DeWine announced the order, law enforcement and government officials in Maine spoke about the Wednesday night shootings -- and the manhunt for the prime suspect still underway. Maine Gov. Janet Mills said 18 people were killed and 13 injured between shootings at Sparetime Recreation and Schemengees Bar and Grille, about 4 miles away from each other.

Hundreds of officers across local, state and federal agencies are searching for 40-year-old Robert Card, who has been charged with eight counts of murder while other charges are pending. Several victims have not yet been identified, law enforcement said at the Thursday news conference.

Mills said Card is considered armed and dangerous. A police bulletin identifying him as a person of interest described Card as a firearms instructor believed to be in the U.S. Army Reserve.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.