October 25, 2023 - Lewiston, Maine mass shootings

Maine officials released a timeline of events surrounding Wednesday’s deadly shooting rampage at two locations in Lewiston, Maine, which did not include police response time to the incidents.

“That information will come out in an after-action review,” Maine Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Shannon Moss explained, adding that law enforcement is focused on apprehending the suspect and an “after action review” was conducted after most “critical events.”

Here’s the timeline provided by the Maine Department of Public Safety:

Sara Smart contributed reporting to this post.

An intensive manhunt is still underway after more than a dozen people were killed in a shooting rampage Wednesday night at a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, authorities said.

Robert Card, 40, is being sought as a suspect, and police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The attack appears to be the deadliest mass shooting of 2023, adding to a grim docket of 565 such incidents reported this year across the United States, with four or more shot excluding the shooter, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

See photos below from the scene:

A police officer speaks to a driver at a roadblock in Lisbon, Maine, on Thursday, October 26. 

Maine State Police Colonel William Ross speaks during a news conference in Lewiston City Hall on Thursday. 

Miia Zellner nails hearts she made to trees on Main Street in Lewiston on Thursday. 

A drone and a helicopter fly as a manhunt is underway in Lisbon on Thursday. 

Dexter Britton looks out through a window in Lisbon Falls, Maine, on Thursday. The Lisbon area has been under a shelter in place order since Wednesday night.

Law enforcement officials load into a tactical vehicle at Lisbon High School on Thursday. 

A road sign in Lewiston reads "Shelter in Place."

Tricia Asselin.

Tricia Asselin, 53, worked part-time at Just-In-Time Recreation in Lewiston, but was there bowling on Wednesday night when a gunman came in and opened fire, her brother told CNN Thursday.

His other sister was also at the bowling alley but she was able to escape, he said.

Johnson spoke to CNN while on a flight to Maine to identify his sister and be with the rest of their family.

He called Asselin his “baby sister” and said they were very close. He said her adult son is devastated by the loss.

Asselin “was the rock of the family” and “kept everyone on an even keel,” Johnson said.

“If there was an argument going on, she would be the one to calm everyone down. If somebody was having a bad day, she would be right on the phone to talk to you about it,” he said.

A patient that was transferred from Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) to Maine Medical Center (MMC) after Wednesday’s shooting rampage has been discharged, a statement from MaineHealth said.

“On Oct. 25, Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) transferred one patient injured in the Lewiston shootings to Maine Medical Center (MMC). That patient has since been discharged. No other MaineHealth hospitals received patients from CMMC,” MaineHealth said. “No other MaineHealth hospitals received patients from CMMC.” 

In a news conference earlier Thursday, officials said at least 18 people were killed and 13 people were injured in the rampage.

Vice President Kamala Harris attends an event on gun safety on September 22, in Washington, DC.

Vice President Kamala Harris offered her sympathies to “yet another community torn apart by senseless gun violence” in remarks addressing the shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday that left 18 dead and 13 wounded.

“Once again, routine gatherings — this time at a bowling alley and a restaurant — have been turned into scenes of horrific carnage,” Harris told those gathered for a luncheon in honor of visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

She said the administration will continue to provide support to local authorities as the investigation into the shootings uncovers what happened.

An intensive manhunt is still underway for suspect Robert Card, 40, who faces an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder. Police said Card should be considered armed and dangerous, urging residents to shelter in place and report any suspicious activity to authorities.

Harris noted that, in the United States, firearm deaths are the leading cause of death for children, warning, “Gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities in this country.” 

Firearms accounted for nearly 19% of childhood deaths (ages 1-18) in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder database.

“And let us be clear, it does not have to be this way — as our friends in Australia have demonstrated,” Harris added.

Australia has long been referenced in the ongoing debate over how to stop mass shootings in the US. It passed nationwide gun control in 2006 after a lone gunman in Tasmania killed 20 people with his first 29 bullets, all in the span of 90 seconds.

In a written statement later Thursday, Harris cited the newly-formed White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention as a way the Biden administration “will continue to work to save lives” until legislation is passed.

Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

On Friday, Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, was scheduled to host inauguration celebrations for its new president, Garry W. Jenkins, but instead chose to postpone the event to a later date following Wednesday night’s shooting rampage.

Jenkins was going to “be installed as the college’s ninth president and first Black president,” a scheduled Facebook Live for the event said. 

The mother of a 10-year-old says a bullet grazed her daughter while they were at Just-in-Time Recreation, one of the two locations of the shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine, that killed 18 and injured 13 others.

Meghan Hutchinson said she and her daughter Zoe Levesque were at the bowling alley when the shooting occurred. She told CNN that one of the bullets grazed her daughter’s leg. 

Hutchinson said her family needs time to heal and process what happened. 

Seven people were killed at the bowling alley, according to authorities. Hutchinson’s daughter is not one of the injured who was hospitalized.

At the time of the shooting, Levesque was treated by paramedics, but Hutchinson said they were overwhelmed.

Her stepfather said Levesque visited an urgent care to make sure there were no fragments in her leg.

The family of the man suspected of killing 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, is urging him to surrender, his brother said.

Police are still searching for the suspect, Robert Card, 40, who is facing an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder, Maine State Police Col. William Ross said during a Thursday news conference.

The suspect’s brother, Ryan Card, said in a text message to CNN that the family has “helped law enforcement in anyway possible” and that they are urging Robert to turn himself in.

He would not tell CNN if his brother has responded to the family’s requests. 

“The police have been given anything that we can offer to facilitate their efforts,” he said, adding that “there are many people hurting out there, please focus on them … this is many people’s worst nightmare.” 

The suspect in the Maine mass shooting is a skilled marksman and outdoorsman who was among the best shooters in his Army Reserve unit, a former colleague in the unit told CNN. 

Robert Card, who police are searching for in connection with the fatal shooting of at least 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, previously reported mental health issues and hearing voices and threatened to shoot up a National Guard base in the state, Maine law enforcement officials said.  

The officials also said Card was reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks over the summer. 

Card’s sister-in-law, Katie O’Neill, said in a brief conversation with CNN Thursday that Card does not have a long history of mental health struggles. 

“This is something that was an acute episode. This is not who he is,” O’Neill said. “He is not someone who has had mental health issues for his lifetime or anything like that.”  

The 40-year-old Card is a petroleum supply specialist in the Army Reserve and first enlisted in 2002, according to records provided by the Army on Thursday. He has no combat deployments, according to the records.  

Clifford Steeves of Massachusetts told CNN he knew Card when they served in the Army Reserve together, starting in the early 2000s until about a decade ago. He said he never witnessed any concerning behavior from Card. 

“He was a very nice guy — very quiet. He never overused his authority or was mean or rude to other soldiers,” Steeves said. “It’s really upsetting.” 

Steeves said the two served together around the country at different points, including in Wisconsin, Georgia and New York. He said he felt as though he “grew up” with Card because they entered the Army as young men and trained together.  

Steeves said that while “aggressive leadership was very prominent” in the Army, Card stuck out for being a “rational, understanding person” who “led through respect rather than fear.” 

Steeves said Card never saw combat but had extensive training, including firearms training and land navigation, “so he would be very comfortable in the woods.” He described Card as an “outdoors type of guy” and a skilled marksman who was one of the best shooters in his unit. 

Another former Army Reserve member who served with Card also described him as a “nice guy” who “never had an issue with anybody.” The servicemember, who asked to speak anonymously due to the sensitivity of the situation, did not recall Card showing any kind of violent behavior.

Sen. Susan Collins speaks during a hearing in Washington DC, on May 11.

GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine told CNN she has been in touch with President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to coordinate the state and government response to last night’s deadly shooting rampage.

“This is a horrific and dark day for the people of Maine. We’ve never experienced anything like this,” Collins said.

Collins added that Maine is “very grateful” for the help from the federal government, and noted that Tom Perez, a senior adviser to Biden and former Democratic National Committee chair, has been in constant contact with her.

“We’re very grateful for the assistance to our state and local law enforcement, because it’s essential that we capture this killer,” Collins said.

Officers guard the entrance to the emergency room at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25.

A top medical official in Lewiston, Maine, said his hospital saw an “outpouring of assistance” in the minutes and hours following a shooting rampage that left at least 18 people dead at two establishments in the city Wednesday.

The help included “approximately 100 team members” who were off-duty but came in to the hospital to help care for patients arriving from the scene of the shootings, Dr. John Alexander, the chief medical officer at Central Maine Medical Center, said in a news conference Thursday. The off-duty workers also helped treat people who were already in the hospital when it faced a sudden uptick in demand for trauma care.

Nurses and physicians from other area hospitals joined the emergency response, along with ambulance services from other counties, Alexander said. At one point, Central Maine Medical Center had as many as 10 ambulance crews standing by outside the hospital’s trauma center to ensure it could transfer any patients needed, according to Alexander.

Nearby Boston and Dartmouth medical centers contributed extra helicopter services.

“We were able to organize those resources and use them effectively,” Alexander said of the sudden flood of support.

CNN had reported Wednesday night that Central Maine Medical Center was calling in any available off-duty staff, according to Lewiston City Councilor Robert McCarthy.

Two of Maine’s leading banks have shut down branches around Lewiston while a third has moved to shut down all branches throughout the state, as the manhunt for a mass shooter continues.

Camden National Bank and Bangor Savings Bank posted notices on their websites Thursday morning announcing branches in several locations would be either closed or drive-up only.

Camden National said it shut branches in Lewiston, Auburn, Topsham, Brunswick, Richmond and Bath and “drive-up only in our other locations.”

Bangor Savings Bank announced the closure of its branches located in Lewiston, Auburn and Brunswick and will have limited service elsewhere.  

TD Bank temporarily closed all 39 of its branches as well as its offices in Maine until further notice “due to the continuing threat.”

“We are acting with urgency to confirm the safety of our TD colleagues, many of whom work or reside in or near that area,” a TD Bank spokesperson told CNN.

The Central Maine Healthcare Center received the first patient after Wednesday’s shooting rampage in Lewiston, at 7:24 p.m. ET, — and over the next 45 minutes, it received 14 more patients, according to Dr. John Alexander, chief medical officer at the center.

Dr. Alexander provided the status of the 15 patients:

As for the eight patients who are currently admitted, five are in stable condition, three are in critical condition, Dr. Alexander said.

Law enforcement officers gather in Lewiston, Maine, on October 26.

Officials from states neighboring Maine issued statements about Wednesday night’s shooting rampage that killed 18 and injured 13, at a restaurant and a bowling alley.

Here’s what officials have had to say:

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee: “We are sickened and heartbroken for the victims of yesterday’s horrific mass shooting in Maine. These lives were senselessly taken. Susan and I are praying for the safety of everyone in Lewiston and thinking of the families who will be forever changed by this senseless act of gun violence. Our nation must come together and do everything we can to end these horrific acts of violence in our communities. Enough is enough,” the Democrat said.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu: “Valerie and I are heartbroken at the senseless act of violence in Lewiston, and are thinking of the victims and their families during this horrific time. The State of New Hampshire stands with the people of Maine – they are our friends, families, and neighbors. State officials have been in constant contact with our counterparts in Maine, and have been assisting in the response and manhunt since last evening. We will continue to provide as many resources as necessary so that justice is served,” the Republican said.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont: “The news of these mass shootings last night in Maine is sickening and heartbreaking. The growing number of mass shootings in our country is infuriating, and we cannot become complacent to this epidemic of gun violence. I applaud and thank the work of the first responders in their swift actions to protect our communities – here in Connecticut and throughout New England. The Connecticut State Police is prepared to address any threats to our local communities should they arise and stand ready to assist law enforcement in Maine if requested,” the Democrat said.

President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Washington, DC, on October 23.

President Joe Biden in a statement Thursday called the rampage in Lewiston, Maine, “yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting,” and urged Republican lawmakers “to fulfill their duty to protect the American people” and work on gun laws.

He urged residents in the area of the incidents to heed warnings issued by local authorities to shelter in place as the suspect continues to be at large. 

“I have directed my administration to provide everything that is needed to support the people of Maine. We will continue to be there every step of the way,” he added.

Noting that “countless” Americans have survived gun violence, he said it is “not normal, and we cannot accept it,” adding that actions taken so far on gun safety are “simply not enough.”

“I urge Republican lawmakers in Congress to fulfill their duty to protect the American people. Work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers. This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars — physical and mental — of this latest attack,” Biden said.

Robert Card is seen in an undated photo released by police.

Robert Card, the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting rampage, is facing eight counts of murder, Maine State Police Col. William G. Ross said.

Authorities have identified eight victims in Wednesday’s shooting and are working to identify 10 more.

Card was initially referred to as a “person of interest.”

“Our reality for today is that this suspect is still at large,” said Director of Public Safety Michael Sauschuck.

CNN’s Andy Rose contributed reporting to this post.

Law enforcement gather outside Schemengees Bar and Grille on October 26, in Lewiston, Maine.

Col. William G. Ross of the Maine State Police and other state officials have provided a timeline of events that unfolded around Wednesday’s mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine.

Here’s how they’ve detailed it:

October 25, approximately 6:56 p.m. ET: The Auburn communications center received a 911 call of a male shooting in “Just-In-Time” or the “Sparetime Recreation Center” in the town of Lewiston.

At about 7:08 p.m. ET: The communications center received multiple 911 calls about an active shooter inside a Schemengees Bar and Grille in Lewiston.

8 p.m. ET: Photos of a person of interest are released. The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it was investigating two active shooter incidents about an hour later, when it also released photos of a person of interest in a post on Facebook. The photos showed a man walking into what appeared to be a bowling alley, holding a high-powered, assault-style rifle.

8:09 p.m. ET: State Police order people to remain indoors saying there was “an active shooter in Lewiston,” and asked members of the public to stay inside with their doors locked while law enforcement investigated “multiple locations.”

8:26 p.m. ET: Neighboring city of Auburn urges residents to “shelter in place, lock all doors & report suspicious individuals and activities to 9-1-1,” an alert shared on X said.

9:17 p.m.ET: Police release an image of a vehicle of interest on Facebook which showed an SUV, with its lights on and its driver side door ajar.

10:52 p.m. ET: Lewiston Police later announced, again on Facebook, that it was trying to locate Robert Card “as a person of interest” in the shootings at Schemengees Bar and the bowling alley.

Around 11:30 p.m. ET: Officials say vehicle was found in Lisbon, Maine – a town about 8 miles southeast of Lewiston. Authorities expanded a shelter in place order to include Lisbon.

3:13 a.m. ET Thursday: Shelter in place advisory expands to Bowdoin, about 15 miles southeast of Lewiston, approximately nine miles east of Lisbon. By Thursday morning several school districts announced they would be closed due to the manhunt, along with a major northeast grocery store chain.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills speaks during a press conference on October 26, in Lewiston, Maine.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills said the entire state stands with the city of Lewiston and is grieving Thursday after a pair of mass shootings that left at least 18 people dead.

Mills said the small state of just 1.3 million people “has long been known as one of the safest states in the nation.”

“This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are,” she added.

The governor said Maine is preparing state resources, including grief counselors and other mental health services, to help people affected by the shooting rampage.

“We need to help our communities heal,” Mills said.

Residents who need someone to talk to can call or text the phone number 988 for free and confidential counseling, the governor said.

Authorities are still searching for a person of interest, who they identified as Robert Card and who they considered armed and dangerous, Maine, Gov. Janet Mills said in a news conference Thursday.

Mills said if you see anything suspicious, please call 911.

If residents see Card, law enforcement is asking that they “not approach him under any circumstances.”

A shelter in place order has been issued for the towns of Lewiston, Lisbon and Bowdoin.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills speaks during a press conference on Thursday. 

At least 18 people were killed in Wednesday’s shootings in Lewiston, Maine, Gov. Janet Mills announced Thursday in a news conference.

Another 13 were injured, she added.

The governor said she was “profoundly saddened” to have to report this news.

Seven of the people killed in the shooting were found at a bowling alley, Just-In-Time Recreation, Col. William G. Ross of Maine State Police said, including one woman and six men. All died from apparent gunshot wounds.

Eight of those killed were found at Schemengees Bar & Grille, including seven men inside the establishment and one who was found outside, the colonel continued. All of those victims also died of apparent gunshot wounds.

An additional three people killed in the shootings had been taken to local hospitals, Ross added.

Approximately eight of those killed have been identified, the official noted, and their families have been notified. Ten still need to be identified at this time, Ross said.

Members of the media gather for a press conference on Thursday, October 26.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills and other authorities are holding a news conference about Wednesday evening’s mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, as an intensive manhunt is underway for a person of interest.

Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, is a person of interest and Lewiston police said he “should be considered armed and dangerous.”

A shelter-in-place order remains across Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin, the governor said earlier today.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer talks to reporters on October 4, in Washington, DC.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed the mass shootings in Maine, calling the news “gut-wrenching,” though he did not suggest on the floor any sort of congressional movement in the wake of the latest massacre.

“My prayers are and will be with all Mainers and first responders as authorities keep working to locate the shooter. Today our hearts are with Lewiston,” he added.

Schumer also ordered the flags at the Capitol to be lowered to half-staff in the wake of the shootings.

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Card, a person of interest in two mass shootings on Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine, is a petroleum supply specialist in the Army Reserve, according to records provided by the Army on Thursday. 

Card enlisted in December 2002 and has had no combat deployments, according to his record. He is the recipient of standard military awards, including the Army Achievement Medal, two Army Reserve Component Achievement medals, the Humanitarian Service Medal, a National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

A manhunt continues for Card, who authorities say should be “considered armed and dangerous,” Thursday morning.

President Joe Biden speaks to journalists on October 25, in Washington, DC.

President Joe Biden ordered flags be lowered to half-staff on Wednesday as “a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on October 25, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine,” according to a proclamation issued by the White House.

Notably, the White House has still not issued a statement on the shooting other than to say that Biden was briefed on the situation last night.

Officials in Maine are expected to release more details on the shooting at a news conference this morning.

L.L. Bean store in Freeport, Maine in 2020.

L.L. Bean, the outdoor goods retailer, has closed its flagship retail store, corporate headquarters, factories and other facilities in Maine as authorities conduct a manhunt following Wednesday’s mass shootings.

A spokesperson for the century-old company, and one of Maine’s biggest employers, said it decided to shut the sites “out of an abundance of caution.”

The company’s large campus of four stores in Freeport, about 20 miles from Lewiston, as well as its corporate headquarters in that town will be closed on Thursday, L.L. Bean spokesperson Amanda Hannah said.

L.L. Bean said it has also closed a manufacturing facility located in Lewiston as well as another one in Brunswick and an order fulfillment center.

L.L. Bean employed more than 3,000 people across Maine as of the first quarter, according to state statistics. 

Remember: Another major employer, Hannaford Supermarkets, has also closed all of its stores in Maine until at least 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, the company said on Facebook.

Law enforcement officers gather in Lewiston, Maine, on October 26.

Authorities are searching Lisbon following mass shootings Wednesday in the neighboring city of Lewiston, the town’s police chief says.

“Please reach out if you see something suspicious, if something isn’t right,” Chief Ryan McGee told reporters Thursday morning as he described the situation in Lisbon as an “active scene.”

McGee’s officers have been chasing leads throughout the night and morning, he said.

A “vehicle of interest” was found in Lisbon, law enforcement said. Lewiston police had said they were searching for a vehicle and posted an image of what appeared to be a small, white SUV with a front bumper believed to be painted black. Maine State Police confirmed to CNN the image is of the suspect’s car.

Although those leads have not yet resulted in police finding Robert Card, the person of interest, McGee said everyone who has any concerns about what they see should call police right away.

A Lewiston bowling alley said they are devastated for their community, staff and that they lost some amazing people in Wednesday night’s mass shooting.

The bowling alley was one of two locations where a gunman opened fire, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens.

 Auburn Mayor Jason J. Levesque speaks with CNN on Thursday.

Auburn, a town in Maine, has several people who were affected by the shooting in nearby city of Lewiston, Auburn Mayor Jason J. Levesque said Thursday.

“Several of them aren’t with us anymore. And the other folks that I knew that were there either as witnesses or family members of witnesses — it’s obviously, traumatic. The bright shot was seeing individuals reunified with their loved ones after not knowing for so long. On the other side, the ones that are waiting and waiting and probably would never be reunified,” he said.

Levesque described a scene of “silence” in Auburn after the shooting.

“The silence of just not knowing, that’s what they don’t say,” he told CNN Thursday. “It will be with me the rest of my life.”

Hannaford Supermarkets, a major Northeast grocery chain, is keeping all of its stores in Maine closed Thursday morning as the search for a suspect in a fatal mass shooting in Lewiston continues.

Some stores did open at their regular times Thursday before learning about the closure order, and they are “in the process of transitioning people out of the store,” the chain said.

Hannaford has 58 locations in Maine, according to its website.

Federal agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and others, have joined the search for a person of interest who police say is connected to the shootings in Lewiston, Maine, according to US law enforcement officials.

The FBI has sent dozens of agents and other staff to assist the local and state police leading the investigation. 

These include evidence collection and SWAT teams, victims assistance experts and technical specialists, US law enforcement officials said.

New York ATF is also responding in support of Boston ATF to the massive active shooter incident and subsequent manhunt, they wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Investigators are looking at cell phone signals to try to identify his movement in the hours and days before the shootings, as well as examining social media and other electronic records to try to identify his whereabouts.

A news conference about the mass shooting will take place at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Lewiston City Hall, according to Maine State Police public information officer Shannon Moss.

Meanwhile, the manhunt continues for Robert Card, who Lewiston police identified as “a person of interest” and said should be “considered armed and dangerous.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills will also be present at the conference, her office said in a statement, adding that she has spoken to President Joe Biden who pledged his administration’s full support.

The governor received multiple briefings throughout the night by Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck, the statement noted, saying a shelter-in-place order remains in affect across the towns of Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin.

Lisbon Chief of Police Ryan McGee speaks with CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz on Thursday.

Lisbon Chief of Police Ryan McGee called his entire department in and closed local businesses to the search for the gunman who opened fire at two locations in nearby Lewiston on Wednesday night, killing at least 16 people, according to law enforcement sources.

McGee told CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz during an impromptu interview that his team has been responding to calls “all night long” from concerned citizens. “A lot of calls, a lot of calls.”

“It’s what we want them doing right now,” he told CNN, “if they see anything suspicious.”

McGee said authorities have a lot of information they are working with but would not comment on the suspect or whether he knows the area. 

“Everybody’s involved we’re just trying to keep the community safe — obviously this is a very tragic incident that happened — we’re doing our job to the best of our abilities to locate this suspect.”

“I would say we’re going to not stop until we get him.”

He urged the media and public to “stay near your vehicles” for their safety.

The vehicle connected to Robert Card, identified by police as a person of interest in the mass shooting, was located in Lisbon Wednesday night, according to Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck. Lisbon is about 8 miles from Lewiston.

Here’s what we know about the manhunt:

A law enforcement officer carries a rifle outside Central Maine Medical Center during an active shooter situation, in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25.

An intensive manhunt is underway in Maine after two mass shootings left at least 16 people dead and dozens injured on Wednesday night, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

Here’s what we know so far:

This story has been updated to reflect uncertainty about the death toll and with new details about the shootings.

Public schools in Maine’s largest city are closed Thursday as the manhunt continues for the suspect in the deadly shooting Wednesday evening, Portland Public Schools announced on its website Thursday morning.

It is the largest school district in the state with approximately 6,500 students, according to the district’s website. The city of Portland is more than 30 miles from Lewiston.

Police arrive at the scene of a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25.

The latest mass shooting that left at least 16 people dead and dozens injured in Lewiston, Maine, added to a list of 565 reported across the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The nonprofit and CNN define mass shootings as those in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.

Nearly 1 in 5 US adults have had a family member killed by a gun, including homicides and suicides, according to a 2023 survey from KFF (formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation). About the same proportion of adults have been personally threatened with a gun, and about 1 in 6 adults has witnessed an injury from a shooting, the survey found.

More background: The FBI defines “mass murder” as the murder of four or more people and tracks “active shooter incidents,” but there is no federal or agreed-upon definition for a mass shooting.

For all its data background, the Gun Violence Archive’s work is, at its heart, basic journalism.

Researchers scrape data automatically from about 7,500 law enforcement agencies, media outlets and more organizations, the executive director Mark Bryant told CNN in 2022. They then comb through the results, double-check media sources, follow up with police, and add that information to the database. Most shootings are added to the system within about 72 hours, Bryant said.

CNN’s Annette Choi, Eric Levenson and Curt Merrill contributed reporting to this report.

Residents of Bowdoin, Maine, were advised not to go outside early Thursday as the search continues for a person of interest in a deadly mass shooting in nearby Lewiston.

Bowdoin is about 14 miles from Lewiston, the scene of Wednesday night’s mass shooting. It has a population of around 3,100 people, according to the US Census.

People depart a reunification center early Thursday, October 26, at Auburn Middle School, in Auburn, Maine, after shootings in Lewiston.

The two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday night have left the small New England city shaken as a manhunt continues for the gunman.

Here’s a timeline of the evening:

This post has been updated with new details about the shootings.

Schemengees Bar and Grill, one of the two locations targeted by a mass shooter in Lewiston, Maine, posted a message of grief on its Facebook page early Thursday morning.

A manhunt is underway for Robert Card, 40, who is being sought as a person of interest in the shootings, Lewiston police said around 11 p.m. ET, adding he “should be considered armed and dangerous.”

Wednesday’s shootings took place at two locations in Lewiston, Maine — a bowling alley and a restaurant.

Just in Time Recreation, which was previously known as Sparetime Recreation, had families enjoying the evening playing games when the shooting began. Eyewitnesses described seeing people, including children, flee from the location and being patted down outside by police officers. There was also footage of first responders loading a victim into an ambulance outside the business.

The business lies just off the main highway that runs through Lewiston. Amenities include a bar and dining area that serves pizzas and burgers, according to its website. It also offers packages for birthday parties and corporate events, it says.

Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, the second shooting location, hosts parties, family celebrations and corporate events — with an arcade area that includes dart boards and pool tables, according to its website. The restaurant is equipped with 10 pool tables, 14 dart boards and dozens of TVs to catch all the major sporting events, the bar, the website says.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly described the bowling alley.

A road sign reads 'Shelter in Place' after a man reportedly opened fire killing and injuring numerous people in downtown Lewiston, Maine, on October 25.

Lewiston, Maine, is a small city — with a population of just 38,493 people as of last year, according to the US Census.

It’s home to Bates College, a private liberal arts school, and is regularly ranked as one of America’s safest cities.

“We know that these events have shocked and frightened our community. And we grieve for those whose lives were tragically lost in this heinous act of violence,” Bates College said in a statement late Wednesday, referring to the mass shooting.

Lewiston is the second biggest city in Maine, after Portland, and sits on the banks of the Androscoggin River.

And though Maine is the whitest state in the nation, according to the 2020 census, immigrant communities have grown in size recently, as well as in other states including Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington.

Between 2017 and 2021, more than 7% of Lewiston residents were foreign-born, according to the census — still lower than the national average of nearly 14%. And in those years, 19% of Lewiston residents spoke a language other than English at home.

As police continue to search for a person of interest involved in the Lewiston shootings, which left at least 22 dead Wednesday night, local schools have announced they will cancel classes on Thursday. 

“There remains a lot of unknowns at this time. Information moves quickly but not always accurately. Please continue to shelter in place or get to safety. We will continue to update you with information and next steps as appropriate,” Lewiston Public Schools said in a post.

“Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them. Our prayers go out to those who lost someone tonight. Our prayers go out to all those working to stop further loss of life.” 

A number of other nearby schools and districts also announced they would be closed or have classes canceled on Thursday:

Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday, October 25.

Town offices in Lisbon, which neighbors Lewiston, Maine, where the shootings took place Wednesday night, will be closed on Thursday as a manhunt continues for the suspect in two mass shootings.

The vehicle connected to Robert Card, identified by police as a person of interest, was located in Lisbon Wednesday night, according to Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck.

Jason Levesque speaks during an interview.

Witnesses of the shootings in Lewiston were of all ages, including teenagers, said Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque, adding that the community was in shock.

Auburn is a city less than 2 miles west of Lewiston.

Speaking to media outside a reunification center, Levesque said there was a lot of fear, panic and worry among residents there.

“You can train for this but you can never be completely prepared,” Levesque said. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation.”

Speaking to CNN later that night, Levesque said he wasn’t aware of any children among those killed — but knows one high school student who was wounded.

He described hearing more about what unfolded Wednesday night from eyewitnesses at the reunification center, including one man who was playing the lawn game cornhole when he heard “a couple pops … but didn’t think anything of it, it is Halloween. Then he started seeing everybody scream and move.”

Authorities across Maine are involved in the ongoing manhunt, with 40-year-old Robert Card identified as a person of interest.

This post has been updated with more comments from the mayor

Mike Sauschuck, Commissioner of the Department of Safety, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, October 25. 

A vehicle of interest was located in Lisbon, Maine, Mike Sauschuck, state commissioner for the Department of Public Safety, said during a news briefing Wednesday night.

Lisbon is about 8 miles southeast of the city of Lewiston, where the shooting unfolded earlier Wednesday.

Residents in Lisbon and Lewiston are being told to shelter in place as the manhunt for a person of interest, Robert Card, continues, he said.

Hundreds of officers continue to search for Card as he remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, Sauschuck said.

Sauschuck noted the shootings began around 6:56 p.m. ET on Wednesday evening and there were multiple locations involved.

This picture shows a victim on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance by first responders in Lewiston, Maine.

An eyewitness said that she saw “definitely more than a dozen” people leaving the bowling alley where one of the shootings in Lewiston, Maine, happened Wednesday evening.

Nichoel Wyman Arel described a large police and ambulance presence outside of Sparetime Recreation following the deadly incident. Arel said she saw officers patting people down as they came out of the bowling alley.

Arel was driving home with a friend from Girl Scouts when they came across the tragic scene. Arel captured footage of people being patted down and leaving the bowling alley.

She saw a person who looked like they “had blood all over them” but couldn’t tell if they were injured themselves. “It’s all kind of a blur. I wasn’t really taking in a lot of the details,” Arel said.

Arel also said that she saw children on the scene with their families.

Arel’s young daughter was with her when she witnessed the aftermath of the shooting.

“She was definitely scared. She’s like — she started crying and said, ‘This is a scary world we live in mom.’ I’m like, ‘I know.’”

When she got home, Arel said that she locked up the house, including windows. She owns a firearm which she said made her daughter “feel better to know that I was carrying it around.”

Arel said that her daughter “was scared somebody was going to come into our home.”

Lewiston residents are being told to continue to shelter in place.

Lewiston Police Department identified Robert Card as a person of interest involved in the Lewiston shooting.

The Lewiston Police Department has identified Robert Card as a person of interest in the two shootings in Lewiston.

Card is 40 years old and should be “considered armed and dangerous,” according a Facebook post from the Lewiston Police Department.

Law enforcement officials in Maine describe Card as a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserves.

Here’s the full statement from Lewiston Police:

The New Hampshire State Police is assisting in the search for Card, including the use of its helicopter, state police spokesperson Amber Lagace said.

CNN’s Joe Sutton contributed reporting to this post.

Joe Biden attends a conference at the White House in Washington D.C., on October 25.

President Joe Biden spoke by phone with a number of Maine lawmakers in the wake of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, the White House press office told pool Wednesday.

Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas both have been briefed on the shootings in Maine.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson offered condolences to those who lost loved ones in the deadly shootings.

Lewiston City Councilor Robert McCarthy speaks with CNN.

Lewiston City Councilor Robert McCarthy, whose home is located half a mile from where one of the shootings happened, recalled the incident as “a real scary event.”

He said his “hearts and prayers go out to everybody involved and we’re thinking of you.”

Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night.

At least 22 people were killed in the mass shootings in Lewiston, City Councilor Robert McCarthy told CNN in a phone interview.

McCarthy said he received this information from a city administrator in a text message. 

Central Maine Medical Center is calling in any available off-duty staff as a result of the deadly shooting, McCarthy said. The armory has been set up as a triage center, McCarthy added.

The FBI office in Boston said it’s ready to assist following the deadly mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine.

“We continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately,” the statement added. “As this situation is still very fluid, we have no further comment at this time and will refer you to the Maine State Police.”

US Sen. Angus King is pictured at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 7.

Following the deadly mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, lawmakers representing the state reacted to the incidents as a manhunt is underway for the suspect.

Here are the statements they posted on social media:

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Boston is among agencies responding to the shootings in Lewiston Wednesday night, according to a post from the agency.

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said he is “heartbroken for our city and our people” after multiple shootings left at least 16 people dead and another 50 to 60 people injured.

The mayor called on residents to “follow all recommended guidelines and stay home,” adding that the city is currently under a shelter-in-place order.

“It is critical to prioritize your safety and the safety of those around you,” Sheline said.

President Joe Biden holds a news conference in Washington, DC, on Monday.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on what’s known so far about the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.

He will continue to receive updates, according to the White House pool.

The Lewiston Police Department released this image of a vehicle connected to the active shooter situation.

Lewiston police said in a Facebook post they are looking for a vehicle with a front bumper painted black in connection with the active shootings in Lewiston.

Maine State Police confirm to CNN that the image is of the suspect’s car.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office has released images of a person of interest involved in the ongoing active shooting situation in Lewiston.

This post has been updated with new details about the shootings.

Video shared with CNN shows the scene of one of the multiple active shooter events in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night. 

Resident Nichoel Wyman Arel was out driving when she saw a large police presence outside of Sparetime Recreation, a local bowling alley.

Arel took video of the scene that shows people running away from the bowling alley. 

Video shows people sprinting out of bowling alley in Maine

At least 16 people are dead in multiple shootings in Lewiston, Maine Wednesday night, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

At least 50 to 60 people are injured in the incidents, though it’s unclear how many are injured due to gunfire, the sources told CNN.

Police activity is seen near the scene of a reported shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25.

The Lewiston Police Department identified the businesses where the two active shooting incidents took place on Wednesday evening.

The locations were identified as Schemengees Bar and Grille and Sparetime Recreation, police said in a post on Facebook.

Schemengees is a bar and grille restaurant, their website says. 

Sparetime Recreation is a bowling alley, according to their website.

CNN has reached out to both Schemengees and Sparetime Recreation but has yet to hear back. 

People gather at an entrance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night.

Central Maine Medical Center has confirmed they are reacting to a mass casualty shooting event. 

The center said they are coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered personnel and resources to local authorities in Maine, a spokesperson from the bureau’s Boston field office told CNN on Wednesday. 

Maine Gov. Janet Mills released a statement Wednesday evening in response to the active shooter situation in Lewiston. 

Maine authorities are investigating two active shooter events in Lewiston Wednesday evening, the Sun Journal newspaper in Lewiston reported.

The newspaper said law enforcement responded to Sparetime Recreation on Mollison Way and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant on Lincoln Street. 

A city spokesman originally told the Sun Journal newspaper that another shooting was reported at a Walmart Distribution Center in the area, but a company spokesperson told CNN that none of Walmart’s facilities was involved in the incidents.

This post has been updated with new details about the shootings.

Residents in the city of Auburn, Maine, have been asked to shelter in place due to the ongoing active shooter situation, the city said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

 Auburn is less than two miles from Lewiston.

Maine State Police are asking residents to shelter in place as an active shooter situation is ongoing in Lewiston.

Lewiston City Councilor Robert McCarthy told CNN that schools are currently on lockdown and officials are asking people to shelter in place immediately.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office released an image believed to be the suspect at large.

Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two active shooter events, according to a post on Facebook.

The shooter is still at large, according to the sheriff’s office.

Maine State Police said they are responding to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, in a post on Facebook. 

State police are encouraging people to stay inside.  

Lewiston is about 36 miles north of Portland and is located in Androscoggin County.

This post has been updated with new details about the shootings.