The search for a US Army reserve soldier who is believed to have killed 18 people and hurt 13 others in a shooting in Maine is now in its second day.
The police are warning that Robert Card has a weapon and is very dangerous. They are telling people to stay inside their homes to stay safe.
On Thursday night, the police went to a house in Bowdoin, which is about a 20-minute drive away from Lewiston where the shooting happened the night before.
The police said they were carrying out many search warrants.
There were loud noises like explosions at the place, and the police were shouting for him to give up.
FBI agents and local police used a loudspeaker to tell the suspect to leave the house with their hands raised. But after a short time, the police left the area.
However, it is not clear why they started the search. A spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety said that the officers were just doing their job by following all the leads to find and catch Card.
The shooting started at a bowling alley in a small town called Lewiston, right before 7:00 PM local time (11:00 PM GMT), said the police colonel. Seven people died in that location – one woman and six men.
Around 10 minutes later, people heard shots fired at a restaurant close by called Schemengees Bar & Grille. Unfortunately, eight men lost their lives in the shooting.
Sixteen people got hurt and were taken to nearby hospitals. Sadly, three of them didn’t survive.
Right now, people in Lewiston and three nearby towns have been told to stay inside and not go out. Schools and many local businesses have closed and will stay closed on Friday.
Beyond a few people walking their dogs, it seemed like most individuals stayed home that day.
There is a lot of activity happening near the two places where shootings took place and the Central Maine Medical Center.
Dr John Alexander, who is the top doctor there, said that the attack is very rare for a small city. He said that around 50 doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and surgeons responded to the request for help in treating the victims.
The police in Maine said that the person they suspect of a crime had recently talked about having mental health problems. They mentioned that the person said they were hearing things and had made threats to shoot up a military base in southern Maine.
He was said to have entered a mental health center during the summer because he acted strangely while training at the US Military Academy.
The police said that he was not a firearms instructor and did not attend advanced weapons training, contradicting previous reports.
Janet Mills, who used to live in Lewiston and is now the Governor of Maine, described it as a very sad day for her state. She promised to do everything she can to make sure the victims and their families receive justice.
The FBI and other federal US law enforcement agencies are helping local and state police in searching for someone. Other states nearby are also giving supplies and staying watchful, because the person who might have done something wrong could have gone to a different state.
Canadian border officials have been told to be careful and watch out for the suspect.
Maine has the least number of murders compared to other states in the US. One of the most well-known writers in the state, horror author Stephen King, said that the shooting happened close to where he lives.
“He wrote on X, previously known as Twitter, expressing that this situation is very chaotic when it comes to freedom. He also requested the implementation of new laws to ensure the safe use of assault rifles. ”
A bar called Schemengees Bar & Grille wrote on Facebook: “Your whole life suddenly becomes chaotic and confusing for no good reason. ” We have sadly lost important individuals in our community. How can we understand this.
The attack started at Just-In-Time Recreation and was shared online with the message: “This all seems unreal, but sadly it is true. ” We cannot find any words that can solve or improve this situation.
President Joe Biden told people to lower the flags at the White House and other government buildings as a way to show respect for the people who have died.
He asked Republicans in Congress to pass laws to make guns safer.
“He said that we need to give every American who is affected by this recent attack, both physically and mentally, the very least that they deserve. ”
Maine Senator Susan Collins asked for a rule against high-capacity magazines during a news conference on Thursday.
“She told the reporters that we feel very sad. ” “This terrible attack took away the lives of at least 18 people from Maine and hurt many others. It is the most awful event of a lot of people being shot all at once that has ever happened in the state. ”