The day after a person with a gun shot and killed 18 people at two nearby places, many people in the southern part of the state remained inside their homes because the police were still looking for the person responsible.
During this time of year, Lewiston’s streets are usually very beautiful with red and bright orange leaves. However, right now the streets are empty and all the stores and businesses are closed. Neat houses made of wooden boards and painted in blue and grey colors appeared empty, with the windows covered and doors closed tightly.
Halloween decorations like big inflatable pumpkins and plastic skeletons on balconies and lawns served as reminders of regular everyday life.
From time to time, a helicopter passed by, unexpectedly interrupting the silence.
Peter Fertesky, who has lived in Lewiston for a long time, said he has never witnessed anything like this before. He came to see the large group of reporters gathered around the local hospital, Central Maine Medical Center. Officials at the hospital stated that 14 victims are currently being treated there.
“He said that even when the Covid virus was spreading, people were still going outside. ”
According to the Gun Violence Archive, Wednesday’s rampage was the deadliest mass shooting in the US this year. The Gun Violence Archive keeps track of shootings where four or more people are killed or injured, not including the person who committed the act.
On a calm Wednesday night, the number of people who lost their lives is almost the same as all the murders that happened in the state throughout 2022.
Governor Janet Mills said at a press conference that this is a sad day for Maine. “The people of Lewiston are going through a lot of pain. ”
People who live in Lewiston say that the deadly attack was very sad and affected the close connections that people have in the community.
The first shooting happened at a place called Just-In-Time Recreation, which is a place where both young and adult bowling leagues play. The person with the gun then went to Schemengees Bar & Grille, which is a restaurant that families go to. People say there was a cornhole tournament happening there when the attacker started shooting.
In the past few hours, we have learned more about the victims of the shooting. One of them was a grandfather who enjoyed bowling, and another was an employee at Schemengees who tried to stop the gunman.
Frank, a resident of Auburn, said that in a city this big, everyone knows at least one person who has passed away.
Frank said that he received a lot of messages on his phone about people who were believed to have been killed or injured. He spent most of Wednesday evening listening to local police scanners, trying to understand how big the attack was on the calm community.
“He said that he is part of a bowling league, hosted by Just-In-Time. ” “We go on Mondays” can be said as “We go on the day called Monday. ”
Frank and his wife, Tammy, were sitting together in a booth at a sandwich shop close to the bowling alley. The restaurant was one of the few places that were still open in the area.
Other people came in and left, waiting at tables that were black and brown and shiny. They were waiting for sandwiches and soups. Many people appeared sad or tired, and almost all of them refused to talk.
Alex Lachance, a nurse, said she used to work with the suspect while waiting in line at the cafe.
“He didn’t talk much to me and was always very quiet,” she explained.
She will go home and lock the doors after getting her order. She said she will be with her family and wait to find out if she has work on Friday.
Schools will stay closed for another day and some events and shows in nearby towns are cancelled or will happen at a later time.
At the same time, many police officers from nearby towns and the state were searching through other towns, forests, and water areas. They kept searching until late on Thursday night. The police went to a house connected to the suspect, Robert Card, with permission to search it. They believe he has weapons and is a threat, so it’s best to stay away from him.
“We are terrified; he is still somewhere nearby,” said Nick Wilson, a 42-year-old co-owner of a childcare center in southern Maine, speaking to the BBC. “The horrible event that occurred was extremely violent. ”
So far, nobody has seen the suspect and the search has expanded to Canada. Border guards are now watching to prevent the suspect from entering the country.
The US Coast Guard is looking for the suspect in the Kennebec River. Lt Cmdr Ryan Koroknay said this on Thursday. Additionally, 80 FBI agents are helping to search for the suspect.
Frank was in the sandwich shop and he mentioned that the search is worrying, but he feels confident that he is not in any danger.
“He said that it is unlikely for him to be in the same place as me. ” “But I bet everyone who went bowling last night had the same thought. “