At least 16 dead in US mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine as gunman still at large

At least 16 people have been killed in shootings in Lewiston, Maine, police have said, and warn the suspect is still at large.

Police named Robert Card, 40, as a “person of interest” and said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston said it was “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event” and coordinating with area hospitals to take patients.

In a post on X, Maine State Police said: “There is an active shooter in Lewiston. We ask people to shelter in place. Please stay inside your home with the doors locked. Law enforcement is currently investigating at multiple locations.”

Lewiston Police said in a Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley.

“Please stay off the roads to allow emergency responders access to the hospitals,” police said.

The police department also posted three photographs of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle, in addition to a picture of a white SUV, asking the public for help in identifying either.

A police intelligence bulletin seen by the Associated Press said Robert Card had been trained as a firearms instructor at a US Army Reserve training facility in Maine and that he had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023.

It also said Card had reported hearing voices and had threatened to carry out a shooting at the military training base.

The Sun Journal newspaper, citing a law enforcement official, said another shooting was reported at the Walmart Distribution Center in Lewiston.

The bowling alley is about four miles (6.5 km) north of the bar, and the distribution centre is about a mile and a half (2.5 km) south of the bar.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office posted two images of the suspect on Facebook, saying he was at large, and asked for the public’s help in identifying a bearded man in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans holding a rifle in the firing position.

“We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate. The suspect is still at large,” the office said in a statement on Facebook.

US officials say President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation.

The president spoke by phone to Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, and Congressman Jared Golden about the shooting and offered full federal support in the wake of the attack, the White House said.

More to follow