Eighteen are dead and 13 injured after last night’s shootings in Lewiston, Gov. Janet Mills said during a Thursday morning news conference.
The shootings happened just before 7 p.m. at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, previously known as Sparetime Recreation, and at Schemengees Bar & Grille.
Seven people were killed at Just In Time, including one female and six males, Maine State Police Col. William Ross said. Eight people were killed at Schemengees, including seven males inside and one male outside. All died of apparent gunshot wounds.
Multiple people were taken to Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston and Maine Medical Center in Portland, Ross said. Three of those people died, he said.
Victims were taken to Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston and Maine Medical Center in Portland, he said.
Lewiston Shootings Timeline
8:06 p.m.
Police released a photo of the shooter to the media.
9:17 p.m.
Lewiston police released photos of a vehicle they were trying to find: a small white car whose bumper may have been painted black.
Lewiston is a special place with a long history of hard work, persistence and faith, and it is known for “opening its big heart to people everywhere,” Mills said.
Her administration is coordinating with local, state and federal officials to offer support to Mainers who may be struggling with the effects of the shootings, including grief counseling and other mental health resources.
“This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security,” Mills said during the news conference.
State police have identified 40-year-old Robert R. Card II as the suspect in the shootings. He is still at large.
Authorities found a white Subaru at Paper Mills Trail and Miller Park Boat Launch on Frost Hill in Lisbon with a registration linked to Card, according to state police.
An arrest warrant for eight counts of murder has been issued for Card. Ross said that the number of counts of murder against Card will likely rise once more of the victims have been identified.
Card is regarded as armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees Card is advised not to approach him and report his location to police.
Police declined to identify a possible motive for the shootings during the press conference, or how Card obtained his weapons. Card is a trained firearms instructor for the Army Reserves who had recently reported mental health issues including hearing voices and threatening to “shoot up” a military facility in Saco, according to a state police bulletin.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is providing investigative and tactical support to local law enforcement and the Maine State Police, said Jodi Cohen, a special agent.
Cohen asked the public to stay vigilant and come forward with information that might be helpful to investigators. She pledged to “carry out this case with rigor to get the answers to the questions that this community deserves.”
People with information should call the Maine State Police’s tip line: 207-213-9526 or 207-509-9002.
There are no words to measure the grief of Mainers today, Mills said. The state has long been known as among the safest in the nation, she said.
“This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear for this precious place we call home,” she said.
Mills advised those who may be having a hard time processing the shootings to call 988. The suicide and crisis hotline offers 24/7 access to free, confidential counseling.