At least 16 killed in Lewiston, Maine, shootings, law enforcement official says

At least 16 people have been killed in shootings in Lewiston, Maine, a law enforcement official said, based on initial information gathered by first responders at three locations. The death toll – which could rise – is the largest from a mass shooting this year, according to data compiled by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University and analyzed by the Washington Post.

Dozens more were injured, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Authorities were investigating multiple active shooter events late Wednesday, as authorities were “encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate,” the sheriff’s office said.

The Lewiston Police Department named Robert Card, 40, as a person of interest in the shootings, sharing a photo of Card in a post on Facebook and warning that he “should be considered armed and dangerous.”

Card is a firearms instructor trained by the military and was recently committed to a mental health facility, according to a state police bulletin, reviewed by the Associated Press.

The bulletin said the man had been trained as a firearms instructor at a U.S. Army Reserve training facility in Maine, the AP reported. The document also said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide specific details about his treatment or condition.

The document also said Card had reported hearing voices and had threatened to carry out a shooting at the military training base in Saco, Maine, the AP added.

The department added that he was born April 4, 1983, and that anyone aware of his whereabouts should contact law enforcement.

Bates College, a liberal arts college in Lewiston with about 1,800 students, said on social media that they’ve sent multiple text alerts and an email to students and community members asking them to shelter in place after reports of a mass casualty event in the city.

Hospitals as far away as Portland, Maine, about 35 miles to the south, were on alert to receive victims, the AP reported.

Two Maine Democrats in the U.S. House issued statements amid the active shooter situation in Lewiston.

Rep. Jared Golden said he was “horrified by the events” in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “This is my hometown … Our hearts break for those who are affected.”

Rep. Chellie Pingree said the “unfolding violence is shocking and I am holding the affected communities in my prayers.”

Gov. Janet Mills said she has been briefed on the situation and will remain in contact with public safety officials. President Joe Biden had spoken by phone to Mills and the state’s Congress members, the AP reported, offering “full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” a White House statement said.

Two businesses have been associated with the “active shooter incident” by Lewiston police: Schemengees Bar & Grille, an arcade-style restaurant on Lincoln Street, and a bowling alley formerly known as Sparetime Recreation, now Just-In-Time Recreation, on Mollison Way.

The FBI Boston Division said in a statement that it is coordinating with law enforcement partners in Maine following the shootings this evening in Lewiston and stands “ready to assist with any available resources they need.”

The division urged the public to “remain vigilant” and described the situation as “very fluid.”

Maine State Police reiterated the sheriff’s office call to stay inside, asking residents to lock the doors to their homes, stay in place and allow law enforcement to handle the situation.

Eleven people died in a shooting in Monterey Park in January, making the shooting in Lewiston the 34th mass killing this year. The Post defines a mass killing as four or more dead, not including the assailant.