A shooter went on a rampage in the town of Lewiston, Maine last night, killing and injuring dozens of people. While early reports said that 22 people had been killed by the gunman, the number believed to have been killed was revised downward to “between 15 and 20” just after 1 a.m. Eastern Time. Fifty other people were injured in the attacks, with some suffering injuries during a stampede according to law enforcement sources.
The Lewiston Police Department named 40-year-old Robert Card as a “person of interest” in the shootings, which happened at a bowling alley and a bar in the town of roughly 38,000 people. The last vehicle he was seen in was found abandoned in Lisbon, a short distance from Lewiston, and a hunt for the gunman was continuing.
NBC News reported that a bulletin put out by the Maine Information and Analysis Center, a law enforcement database, said that Card was a trained firearms instructor and was believed to be in the Army Reserve. The bulletin also reportedly said that Card had “recently reported mental health issues,” but NBC News said it wasn’t able to independently verify the information on Card.
All municipal buildings and schools are closed today while the manhunt for the shooter continues. Last year there were 29 homicides in the entire state of Maine, with only 20 being committed in 2020.