LEWISTON, Maine — Maine authorities expanded a shelter-in-place advisory Thursday morning after a shooting left multiple people dead and sparked a massive manhunt for a 40-year-old man law enforcement identified as a person of interest in a mass shooting on Wednesday.
Maine state police said they were extending a shelter-in-place advisory in effect in Lewiston, the second-largest city in the state, and Lisbon to Bowdoin, which they said was the hometown of Robert Card, the person of interest.
This photo released by the Lewiston Maine Police Department shows Robert Card, who police have identified as a person of interest in connection to mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. ( Lewiston Maine Police Department via AP)
“We are expanding the shelter in place advisory and school closings to include the town of Bowdoin. Please stay inside your homes while more than 100 investigators, both local and federal work to locate Robert Card who is a person of interest in the Lewiston shooting,” Maine State Police posted on social media.
More than 100 law enforcement officers were involved in the search for Card, who they tied to a mass shooting that left at least 16 people dead, according to the Associated Press.
A press conference was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Lewiston City Hall.
“This morning at 10:30, I will join public safety officials at Lewiston City Hall to speak to Maine people about last night’s tragedy and the ongoing search for the person of interest. I urge Maine people to continue to follow the instructions of local law enforcement,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said on social media.
A chaotic scene erupted Wednesday night when multiple shootings were reported at Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant and Sparetime Recreation, the Lewiston Police Department said.
Card is considered armed and dangerous, Maine State Police said.
“If seen, people should not approach Card or contact with him,” state police said on social media.
Police said they recovered a vehicle associated with Card in Lisbon Wednesday night, prompting a shelter-in-place order for residents in the area. A reunification center was established at the Auburn Middle School.
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At a press conference Wednesday night, Maine Public Safety Department Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said at 6:56 p.m. several shooting incidents occurred with “multiple casualties” in Lewiston.
He identified Card as the person of interest and asked anyone with information that could help locate Card to call 911.
“There are multiple scenes in the city to include multiple hospitals, multiple follow ups, a lot of witnesses we’re speaking with a lot of leads. The general public has been very cooperative and very forthcoming with information,” he told reporters.
A police bulletin circulated to law enforcement officials described Card as a firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine, the Associated Press reported.
The document said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base, the outlet reported.
A telephone number listed for Card in public records was not in service.
Sauschuck did not say how many people were killed in Wednesday night’s shootings, calling the situation “fluid.”
A green armored truck and multiple SUVs were seen traveling north on I-95 early Thursday morning just over 20 miles from Lewiston. Multiple helicopters were seen flying over Lewiston, most businesses were closed early in the morning, and streets were relatively empty.
Police also locked down immediate access to both Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant and Sparetime Recreation.
Law enforcement armed with long rifles were in front of the Central Maine Medical Center, which said in a statement Wednesday that it was “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event.”
Law enforcement armed with long rifles stand at the entrance to the emergency department entrance of Central Maine Medical Center on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, after a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. (Chris Van Buskirk/Boston Herald)
Mills was briefed on the situation Wednesday.
“I urge all people in the area to follow the direction of State and local enforcement. I will to continue to monitor the situation and remain in close contact with public safety officials,” she said in a statement on social media.
The FBI Boston Division said it was coordinating with law enforcement in Maine.
“We stand ready to assist with any available resources they need, including evidence response, investigative and tactical support, as well as victim assistance,” the division said in a statement.
Gov. Maura Healey said her “thoughts are with the victims’ families, survivors, and everyone across Maine and New England who’ll feel the weight of this senseless act of gun violence.”
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“We’re holding our loved ones a little closer tonight, and praying for the safety of the people of Lewiston,” the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement that also confirmed she was in touch with Gov. Mills and offered support.
Law enforcement armed with long rifles stand at the entrance to Central Maine Medical Center on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, after a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. (Chris Van Buskirk/Boston Herald)
In this image taken from video released by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified gunman points a gun while entering Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Maine State Police ordered residents in the state’s second-largest city to shelter in place Wednesday night as the suspect remains at large. (Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
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