Hundreds of officers are hunting for a “person of interest” after two mass shootings killed at least 16 people and injured dozens of others at a restaurant and bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night.
Police identified Robert Card, 40, as a person of interest in the shooting. Card is a trained firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve stationed out of Saco, Maine, according to police.
Card recently reported mental health issues, including “hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco” and was reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks during summer 2023 and subsequently released, a police bulletin said.
The dual shootings took place at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley. Numerous children and parents were at Sparetime for a children’s bowling league at the time of the shooting, according to the Associated Press.
“It’s scary,” 10-year-old Zoey Levesque told WMTW-TV. “I had never thought I’d grow up and get a bullet in my leg. And it’s just like, why? Why do people do this?”
Riley Dumont, whose daughter was bowling at the time of the shooting, told the outlet that she “laid on top” of her daughter to keep her safe while her father, a retired police officer, helped usher people to safety.
“Next thing I know, he was just taking the group that we were in and just corralling us in the corner,” she told WMTW. “He put tables over us and just made sure we were safe. He just kind of went into action at that point. It felt like it lasted forever.”
Kathy Lebel, co-owner of Schemengees, told the outlet that it was cornhole night at the venue.
“It was just a fun night playing cornhole. … It’s the last thing you’re expecting, right?” Lebel said. “I still feel like this whole thing is a nightmare.”
Survivors were taken to a nearby middle school to be reunited with family.
At least 16 people were killed but that number is expected to rise, according to Michael Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety. Dozens of others were wounded.
Police described Card as “armed and dangerous.”
“If people see him they should not approach Card or make any contact with him in any way,” Sauschuck said.
After the shooting, police descended onto the city with rifles and urged people to stay in their homes. A shelter-in-place advisory was issued on Wednesday for Androscoggin County and schools are closed as far as Kennebunk, which is about an hour from Lewiston, according to the AP.
“Please stay inside your home with the doors locked,” Maine State Police warned.
A “vehicle of interest” in connection with the shooting was found early Thursday in Lisbon, about eight miles from Lewiston, according to The Messenger.
“Lewiston is currently under a shelter-in-place order, and it is critical to prioritize your safety and the safety of those around you,” he said in a statement. “Please follow all recommended guidelines and stay home.”
The state had just 29 homicides all of last year, according to the AP, which noted that the state does not require permits to carry guns and has a longstanding culture of gun ownership.
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline urged residents to be cautious.
The shooting is likely the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s history, according to the Sun-Journal, and one of the deadliest mass shootings since 1966.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, who lives in Lewiston, said in a statement that he was “horrified” by Wednesday’s events.
“Right now, all of us are looking to local law enforcement as they gain control of the situation and gather information,” Golden said. “Our hearts break for those who are affected and we encourage everyone to follow the directions of the authorities as they conduct their work.”
