Maine police: 18 dead in Lewiston shootings
Suspect still at large
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Authorities carried out a massive search Thursday for a man who they say killed 18 people and wounded 13 at a bowling alley and bar in Maine that sent panicked patrons hiding under tables and behind bowling pins and gripped the entire state in fear.
Frightened residents stayed locked in their homes Thursday in cities as much as 50 miles (80 kilometers) away under a shelter-inplace advisory.
The shooting suspect, Robert Card, is considered armed and dangerous, authorities told a news conference. A warrant has been issued charging him with eight counts of murder. That number will rise when the other 10 victims have been identified, said Maine State Police Col. Col. William Ross.
“This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said.
The attacks Wednesday night stunned a state of only 1.3 million people that has one of the country's lowest homicide rates: just 29 in all of 2022.
Col. William Ross of Maine State Police said seven people died from gunshot wounds at the bowling alley shooting. Eight died in the bar shooting, one of whom was outside. Three people transferred to hospitals also died.
A police bulletin identified Card, 40, as a person of interest in the attack in Lewiston that sent panicked bowlers scrambling behind pins, into corners and a back room when shots rang out around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Card was described as a firearms instructor believed to be in the U.S. Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine.
The document, circulated to law enforcement officials, said Card had been committed to a mental health facility
for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base. A telephone number listed for Card in public records was not in service.
The first shooting took place at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley, and the second at Schemengees Bar and Grille about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away, Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss said. A number of parents and children were at Sparetime as part of a children's bowling league.
One bowler, who identified himself only as Brandon, said he heard about 10 shots, thinking the first was a balloon popping.
“I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon — he was holding a weapon — I just booked it,” he told The Associated Press.
Brandon said he scrambled down the length of the alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing up to hide in the machinery.
“I was putting on my bowling shoes when it started. I've been barefoot for five hours,” he said.
The bowling alley is home to traditional tenpin bowling as well as candlepin, a variant of bowling found in New England. It's located about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) north of the Bates College campus, on the outskirts of downtown. The alley has a small bar and is popular for local bowling leagues and children's parties.
Wednesday was “industry night” at Schemengees Bar and Grille, with 25% discounts offered to customers who work in the bar or restaurant industry.
“In a split second your world gets turned upside down for no good reason,” the business posted online, saying “great people in this community” were lost.
“I know that the people of Lewiston are enduring immeasurable pain," Mills said at the news conference. “I wish I could take that pain from you, but I promise you this, we will all help you carry this grief.”
After the shooting, police, many armed with rifles, took up positions while the city descended into eerie quiet — punctuated by occasional sirens — as people hunkered down at home. Schools as far away as Kennebunk, more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Lewiston, closed out of caution on Thursday. And schools and public buildings were closed in Portland, the state's largest city.