Wednesday night, a mass shooting occurred at a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine. Then, after no one was able to apprehend him, the killer moved on to a restaurant. The death count is suspected to be at 22 right now, and dozens more are injured.
Those in Lewiston and in the surrounding areas are being told to shelter in place until the suspect is apprehended. Hannaford Supermarkets have even closed their stores this morning to maintain the shelter-in-place advisories. There is a significant manhunt happening across the area.
Lisbon’s Chief of Police Ryan McGee has said, “We want to locate the individual, make sure our communities kept safe. So biggest thing I can say is make sure that if the community sees anything, stay inside, don’t approach, call the police department.”
A news conference is being held as we write this, allowing the police to provide more updates and tell citizens what needs to be done in order to maintain the highest level of safety.
Robert Card is the person being sought as the suspect. Police have said he “should be considered armed and dangerous.” When he was last seen, he was driving a small white SUV, and the front bumper is believed to be painted black.
Federal agencies are also assisting in the search. The FBI sent dozens of agents to work with local and state investigations. There are also SWAT teams and victims’ assistance experts arriving in Lewiston all morning long.
Portland Public Schools have also chosen to close on Thursday since it is the largest school district in the state. Although Portland is about 30 miles from Lewiston, everyone is choosing to err on the side of caution.
This mass shooting marks the 566th mass shooting that has occurred in the US for 2023, based on a report from the Gun Violence Archive.
Open and concealed carry are legal in the state of Maine without a permit, too. This means that it will likely change now that there have been so many deaths at the hands of one armed man.
Right now, we don’t want to focus on the politics of the Second Amendment. The cops need to apprehend the killer before any more lives can be taken.
