At Least 16 Dead in Lewiston, Maine Shootings

At least sixteen people have been killed and dozens wounded after two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, the local police department announced.

Police have launched a manhunt for the shooter. Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released photos of the suspect who has been identified as Robert Card, 40.

Officers say that he should be “considered armed and dangerous.” Police are urging the public to contact law enforcement if they have information on Card’s whereabouts. Law enforcement officials in Maine have told CNN that Card is a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserve.

The Associated Press reports that he spent time in a mental health center in the summer of 2023 and had threatened to commit a shooting at the base.

Two shootings in Lewiston in separate locations

The two shootings in Lewiston occurred at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley on Mollison Way, and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant on Lincoln Street. The two sites appear to be about four miles (6.5km), or a ten-minute drive, apart.

Eyewitnesses described seeing people running away from the bowling alley. Lewiston is about thirty-six miles north of Portland and is the state’s second-largest city.

The city of Lewiston said that all municipal buildings are closed Thursday as the hunt for the shooter continues.

Schools are also closed. People were told to shelter in place after the shootings. Police identified a bar and a bowling alley as the crime scenes.

The local government said that non-emergency personnel should stay home.

Mass shootings on the rise in the US

There have been 429 mass shootings in the United States in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

A mass shooting is defined as an incident in which four or more people are killed by a firearm. This includes both shootings that occur in public places, such as schools and workplaces, as well as those that occur in private residences.

The number of mass shootings in the US has been on the rise in recent years. In 2020, there were 452 mass shootings, which was the highest number on record. The following year, there were 690 mass shootings, which was a fifty-four percent increase from 2020.

In June, President Joe Biden called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

He also communicated his belief that the age for firearm purchases should be raised to twenty-one. He called for the implementation of safe storage laws and personal liability for not locking up a gun.

This is a breaking news story; more to follow.