At least 22 people have been killed in multiple shootings in Maine’s Lewiston city on Wednesday. The shooter remains at large.
Over 50-60 people are reported injured, according to CNN. Though it’s unclear how many are injured due to gunfire. Follow Maine shooting LIVE updates here.
The Lewiston Police Department has identified 40-year-old Robert Card “as a person of interest” in connection with the shootings. The police warned that Card should be “considered armed and dangerous.”
According to ABC News, the shooting spree took place at a bowling alley, a local bar and a Walmart distribution center.
Two law officials, on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that investigators were still processing the crime scenes and working to gather evidence.
Earlier today, the Lewiston Police said that it was investigating at least “two active shooter events” in the city. It posted two photographs of a suspect pointing what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle, according to Reuters.
“We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate. The suspect is still at large,” the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook.
The Maine state police also warned about “an active shooter” on its social media platform X.
“We ask people to shelter in place. Please stay inside your home with the doors locked. Law enforcement is currently investigating at multiple locations,” it said.
The White House in a statement said the President Joe Biden made calls to Maine Governor Janet Mills, two senators and a local congressman to offer federal support.
“The president spoke by phone individually to Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, and Congressman Jared Golden about the shooting in Lewiston, Maine and offered full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” it said.
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said he is “heartbroken for our city and our people” and urged residents to follow recommended guidelines.
“Lewiston is known for our strength and grit and we will need both in the days to come,” Sheline told CNN.
The shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since at least May 2022, when a gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Texas’ Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers, according to Reuters, which cited data from the Gun Violence Archive.
The number of US shootings in which four or more people were shot has surged since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. At least 647 such incidents were reported in 2022, the data from the archive showed.
(Inputs from agencies)
