A deadly mass shooting in Maine has left 22 people dead and 30 more injured, according to reports.
The deadly Wednesday night shooting in the city of Lewiston spanned three locations.
The Lewiston Police Department confirmed that the gunman opened fire at Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant, Sparetime Recreation, and an unidentified third location.
In a Facebook post, Maine State Police said that there is an active shooting situation in Lewiston, a city of 36,000, 35 miles north of Portland.
Officials from the Central Maine Medical Center, a local hospital, said they are responding to a “mass casualty, mass shooter event.”
As of 9 p.m., the hospital said that they cannot share the specifics on the number of casualties.
“Central Maine Healthcare is coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients,” the hospital said.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office shared two photos of the suspect, who was wearing a brown sweatshirt, and holding a rifle.
The suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Robert R. Card.
Authorities told residents in Lewiston to “shelter in place” and to “stay inside your home with the doors locked.”
Hundreds of police are searching for Card in the city of Lewiston and surrounding areas of Maine state.
At the time of early Thursday morning, Card is still at large as the massive manhunt continues.
State and local police identified Card as a person of interest in the case after previously posting on Facebook photographs of a man wielding what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle.
The pictures from one of Wednesday’s crime scenes showed a bearded man in a brown hoodie and jeans, holding the weapon in the firing position.
“We have literally hundreds of police officers working around the state of Maine to investigate this case to locate Mr. Card, who is a person of interest,” Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck told a news conference.
Several media reported that a Maine law enforcement bulletin identified Card as a trained firearms instructor and member of the U.S. Army Reserve.
Card recently reported that he had mental health issues, including hearing voices.
It also said he threatened to shoot up a National Guard base.
“Card was also reported to have been committed to mental health facility for two weeks during summer 2023 and subsequently released,” said the notice from the Maine Information & Analysis Center.
Reuters could not authenticate the bulletin.
The Associated Press reported it was circulated to law enforcement officials.
The bar and the bowling alley are about four miles (6.5 km) apart in Lewiston, a former textile hub and town of 38,000 people in Androscoggin County about 35 miles (56 km) north of Maine’s largest city, Portland.
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