Witness hid in bowling alley machinery during deadly attack
An witness to the Maine mass shooting has described hiding in bowling alley machinery to save himself from the gunman.
At least 16 people were killed in multiple shootings on Wednesday night at Schemengees Bar and Grille and the Sparetime Recreation bowling centre in the town of Lewiston.
The gunman is still at large, with hundreds of police officers searching for Robert Card, 40, who has been named as a person of interest. They said he should be considered “armed and dangerous”.
One witness, named only as Brandon, described hiding in bowling alley machinery during the attack.
At first, he thought balloons were popping, but soon realised he could hear the sound of 10 gunshots. “I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon – he was holding a weapon – I just booked it,” he told Associated Press.
Brandon described scrambling down the bowling alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing into the machine area behind to hide.
“I was putting on my bowling shoes when it started. I’ve been barefoot for five hours,” he added.
Brandon and a busload of other survivors were taken to a school in the nearby city of Auburn to be reunited with friends and family.
Another witness told ABC News she was “laying on top” of her 11-year-old daughter to protect her during the attack.
Riley Dunmont said her daughter had been taking part in a children’s bowling league when the family heard the sound of gunshots. Her father – a retired police officer – gathered the family into a corner.
“I was laying on top of my daughter,” Ms Dumont said, adding that her own mother then lay on top of both of them to protect them.
One worried mother told NBC News saying she had “heard nothing” from her son who was at Schemengees Bar at the time of the shooting.
“My ex-husband and my son were playing pool and next thing I know I saw on Facebook that there was a shooting at Schemengees where they were playing and then nobody would tell us anything,” she said.
She attended the scene with her family. “His wife, his son, my ex-husband are here, friends are here. We’re all waiting and we’ve heard nothing,” she added.
Melinda Small, the owner of Legends Sports Bar and Grill less than a quarter of a mile from the bowling alley, said she was in a “state of shock” after hearing the shooting at about 7pm.
“I am blessed that my team responded quickly and everyone is safe,” she told AP. “But at the same time, my heart is broken for this area and for what everyone is dealing with. I just feel numb.”
Her staff locked their doors and moved all 25 customers away from the entrances before police arrived to escort everyone out of the building. Everyone in the bar was understood to be safe.
