There are different reports about the exact number of victims – there are talks of at least 16 or 22. The shooter is at large. Police are looking for a former shooting instructor with military training. There are several crime scenes. Hospitals in the city of Lewiston, which has a population of 40,000, are working at capacity.
At least 22 people were killed in multiple gun attacks in the US state of Maine on Wednesday (local time) – other reports indicate at least 16 deaths. There were also up to 60 injured. The shooter was on the run, local authorities and multiple U.S. media outlets reported. According to police, the alleged perpetrator was in the city of Lewiston. However, there was initially no official confirmation of the number of victims.
However, a member of the Lewiston City Council, Robert McCarthy, told CNN that, according to the city administration’s findings, there were already 22 dead and “many, many more injured.” McCarthy said the small town’s hospitals were not equipped to handle a situation like this — “they’re doing what they can.” The situation is surreal. “It’s so unreal. You see it on the news and you tell yourself it will never happen here. And then this happens here and it just drives you crazy.”
Lewiston police said on Facebook they are looking for 40-year-old Robert Card. The card should be considered “armed and dangerous.” He is a military-trained shooting instructor who spent two weeks in a psychiatric facility in the summer of 2023, the Associated Press reported, citing a state police bulletin.
A photo of the perpetrator with a semiautomatic weapon that Lewiston police posted on Facebook. Portal/Lewiston Maine Police Department via Facebook
Police warn: residents must stay safe
Law enforcement officials in the city of Lewiston and Androscoggin County said emergency services responded to gun attacks in multiple locations. Bloomberg news agency reports two crime scenes: a restaurant (Schemengees Bar & Grille) and a bowling center (Sparetime Recreation).
Police released surveillance camera images of an alleged shooter, a bearded man wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans who held a rifle in a firing position.
It was said that the suspect had not yet been captured. Residents in the area were asked to stay safe. The hospital in Lewiston spoke of “numerous victims.” It is working with neighboring hospitals to accommodate all patients.
Lewiston, with about 37,000 residents, is part of Androscoggin County and is located about 35 miles north of Portland, Maine’s largest city.
Joe Biden reports
In the US, riots and fatal shootings are, unfortunately, part of everyday life. Firearms are readily available and widely distributed in the United States. Bloody attacks with many victims regularly shake the country.
Wednesday night’s shootings could rank as the worst U.S. shootings of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks gun-related incidents across the United States. For comparison: According to the Maine State Police, there were only 29 murders in the entire state of Maine last year.
The White House said US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident and will continue to be kept updated. He spoke on the phone with Maine Governor Janet Mills, as well as members of the state’s Congress, and offered full federal support in the wake of the “horrific attack.”
Biden was hosting a state banquet for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the US government headquarters on Wednesday night as the attack was taking place in Maine. (APA)