Note, police have since confirmed 18 were killed and 13 were hurt. Please find our latest story here.
(NewsNation) — A manhunt is underway Thursday morning for a gunman who opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday killing and injuring dozens, sending the state’s second-largest city into chaos.
The Lewiston Police Department said it is looking for 40-year-old Robert Card as a person of interest and warned he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Authorities ordered residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets.
The Maine State Police have expanded the shelter-in-place advisory and school closings to include the town of Bowdoin as more than 100 investigators work to locate Card. Police asked anyone with any information about Card or the shootings to contact law enforcement.
The exact number of people killed and injured has not been confirmed on the record by law enforcement. The Associated Press is reporting at least 16 were killed.
Police are expected to provide an update on the shooting and subsequent manhunt at 10:30 a.m. ET Thursday. NewsNation will stream it live.
Lewiston police said in a Facebook post on Wednesday night that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Just-in-Time Recreation, a bowling alley about four miles away.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos on its Facebook page that showed a gunman walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulder.
“Please stay off the roads to allow emergency responders access to the hospitals,” police said.
On its website, Central Maine Medical Center said staff were “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event” and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients. As of 2 a.m. ET, the page displaying the message appears to have been taken down.
An overnight nurse supervisor at the hospital, who asked to remain anonymous, told NewsNation early Thursday morning that at least 17 victims had been admitted to the hospital and one was transported to Maine Medical Center. Several victims have already been discharged from the hospital, but the hospital remains on lockdown and no visitors are allowed.
Approximately 200 workers are helping out in the hospital’s emergency department, and many of those employees volunteered to come in and help.
“The way everybody pulled together and came together as a team was very impressive,” the nurse supervisor said.
According to information from Maine State Police’s Maine Information and Analysis Center (MIAC), Card was trained as a firearms instructor at a U.S. Army Reserve training facility in the state.
He recently reported mental health issues including hearing voices and threatened to shoot up the military training facility, according to the Maine State Police bulletin. He was also reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks during the summer of 2023.
Michael Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a news conference Wednesday night that initial calls of a shooting came in just before 7 p.m. ET. During the search after the shootings, police located a vehicle in nearby Lisbon, Sauschuck said.
The Sun Journal, a local newspaper in Lewiston, reported the vehicle police believe Card was driving, a white Subaru Outback, was found near a Lisbon boat dock.
The alert for Lewiston was made shortly after 8 p.m. as the sheriff’s office reported that law enforcement agencies were investigating “two active shooter events.” Officials issued an update around 10 p.m. on their search.
“Avoid the area until authorities give the all-clear,” the statement said. “Seek alternative routes to circumvent the area and any disruptions. If already operating in the affected region, adhere to all instructions issued by local officials, including the shelter-in-place order.”
“We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate,” the sheriff’s office reported. Events and early voting at City Hall have also been canceled.
Auburn Councilor Leroy Walker told NewsNation that he hadn’t heard from his son, who is a manager at Schemengees Bar and Grill. Plus, his name is not in the hospital record. Walker said he fears his son is dead, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Lewiston Public Schools district said in a statement on Facebook it canceled classes for Thursday.
“Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them. Our prayers go out to those who lost someone tonight. Our prayers go out to all those working to stop further loss of life. We will provide updates,” the school district said.
Several nearby schools and districts, including Central Maine Community College and Bates College, announced they’d be closed on Thursday.
Bates College remains on lockdown.
“We realize that there are students who were not in their residence hall as we went into lockdown, and employees who are on campus and unable to return home. If you are in that situation and you have a specific emergency medical need please contact Campus Safety at 207-786-6254 with your current location and your need,” Bates College emergency management said.
The nearby city of Auburn also issued a shelter-in-place order, as did the town of Lisbon.
“Stay safe. don’t jump to conclusions,” Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque said on Facebook.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck situation. You can train for this, but you can never be completely prepared,” he later told reporters from WGME-TV outside at a reunification center at Auburn Middle School. “We’re gonna heal our community, we’re gonna persevere, we’re gonna get through this. It will take a while … but we have a really strong community. We’ve overcome a lot, and we’ll overcome this.”
One woman who sheltered in place told NewsNation that family friends were hurt in the shooting.
In 2022, the entire state of Maine saw just 29 murders — 15 of which were domestic incidents.
Now, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety urged residents to stay in their homes with their doors locked.
“Law enforcement is currently investigating at two locations right now,” Shannon Moss said. “Again, please stay off the streets and allow law enforcement to defuse the situation.”
Gov. Janet Mills released a statement echoing those instructions. She said she has been briefed on the situation and will remain in close contact with public safety officials.
Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent, said he was “deeply sad for the city of Lewiston and all those worried about their family, friends and neighbors” and was monitoring the situation. King’s office said the senator would be headed directly home to Maine once the Senate’s final vote is held Thursday afternoon.
The White House said in a statement the president has been briefed on the situation. The Justice Department also said Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed and that federal law enforcement agencies are assisting.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden ordered the nation’s flag to fly at half-staff out of respect for the shooting victims.
Schemengees Bar and Grille released a statement early Thursday morning.
“My heart is crushed. I am at a loss for words. In a split second your world gets turn upside down for no good reason. We loss great people in this community. How can we make any sense of this. Sending out prayers to everyone,” the bar posted on their Facebook page.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.