Three US cities are cordoned off while the search for the Maine bomber takes place
On Wednesday (25), a man opened fire on people who were in a bar and a bowling alley in the city of Lewiston, in the US state of Maine. This is the deadliest mass shooting in the US this year.
According to the police department, US police found the suspect dead this Friday (27). According to the New York Times, he was near a recycling center where he was employed.
The suspect is a 40yearold army reservist. He was wanted for killing 18 people and injuring 13 others.
During the twoday search, police and FBI agents were deployed at several locations, including the riverbank where the suspect’s car was found. Agents searched the bottom of the river using sonar equipment and divers.
On the first day of searches, police urged people to shelter at home. This Friday, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschick said businesses in the region could reopen.
Joe Biden calls for the passage of gun control laws
US President Joe Biden released an official statement regretting the deaths of people in Maine and saying he will do whatever it takes to support the people of the state.
In the text, Biden also calls on Republicans in Congress to support a bill that would ban highpowered rifles and cartridges, which he said would lead to safe storage of these weapons.
“This is the least we owe to all Americans who will now bear the scars physical and mental of this latest attack,” Biden said.
A permit is not required to carry weapons in Maine
With around 38,000 residents, Lewiston, Maine, is part of Androscoggin County and is located approximately 35 miles north of the state’s largest city, Portland.
Maine has low crime rates: a total of 29 homicides were recorded in 2022.
The state does not require permits to carry weapons and has a culture of gun ownership that is linked to its hunting and shooting traditions.
“Our small state of just 1.3 million residents has long been considered one of the safest in the country. This attack strikes at us and the values we hold dear in this place we call home,” said Janet Mills.
1 of 1 Image of the city of Lewiston, where a massacre of 18 people took place at a bar and a bowling alley Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Portal Image of the city of Lewiston, where a massacre of 18 people took place at a bar and a bowling alley Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Portal