This is a fluid story, but as of now, this is what we know. Last night, two separate shooting incidents left as many as 18 people dead and dozens more injured. An intensive manhunt is underway for a suspect, officials said, and police are asking residents to shelter in place. Lewiston is the state’s second-largest city, located about 36 miles north of Portland.
Robert Card, 40, has been named as a person of interest, and Lewiston police said he “should be considered armed and dangerous.” Law enforcement officials in Maine say Card is a certified firearms instructor and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. He had recently threatened to shoot up a National Guard facility in Saco, Maine, and reported mental health issues, including hearing voices.
This knowledge spurred questions about whether or not Maine has a “Red Flag Law.” In the U.S., a red flag law is a prevention measure that permits a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person they believe may present a danger to others or themselves.
Maine does not have a red flag law. Instead, it’s a yellow flag or yellow paper law. It’s a process with more steps than the more assertive red flag laws in some states. This means they do have “extreme risk protection orders” that can be used for law enforcement officers to remove firearms from the possession of people at risk of using guns to harm themselves or others. However, in Maine, a medical practitioner must first “assess whether the person presents a likelihood of foreseeable harm.”
Some believe this is a hindrance, according to The Maine Attorney General’s Deadly Force Review Panel 2022 report. The report pushes for more resources and education around what the law can do.
The shootings took place at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley, and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, according to Lewiston police. State officials say the shootings began around 6:56 p.m. EDT.
Photos of Card have been released by the sheriff’s office. The images show a “suspect for identification,” a man in brown clothing, holding a high-powered assault-style rifle. Police also shared an image of the vehicle they’re looking for, a small white SUV with a front bumper believed to be painted black, which Maine State Police confirmed is the suspect’s car. (The car was located at approximately 11:30 p.m., eight miles from Lewiston in the town of Lisbon.)
Here is a timeline of yesterday evening:
7 p.m.: Two shootings are reported in Lewiston with multiple casualties, according to Maine’s Department of Public Safety commissioner Mike Sauschuck.
8 p.m.: Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office releases photos of the armed suspect and states it’s investigating two active shooting incidents. The agency encourages “all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate.”
8:09 p.m.: Maine State Police acknowledges that there’s “an active shooter in Lewiston” and instructs people to stay inside with their doors locked. “Law enforcement is currently investigating at multiple locations.”
8:26 p.m.: The neighboring city of Auburn instructs all residents to shelter in place.
8:53 p.m.: Lewiston police identified the locations of the shootings as Schemengees and Sparetime Recreation, a restaurant and bowling alley.
9:17 p.m.: Lewiston police release an image of a white vehicle, instructing members of the public to contact them if they see it.
10:52 p.m.: Police on social media name Robert Card as a “person of interest” in the shootings and release his photo.
Around 11:30 p.m.: Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck says a “vehicle of interest” was found in Lisbon, about eight miles from Lewiston, but the person of interest remains at large.
11:34 p.m.: Lisbon officials say all town offices will be closed on Thursday and tell people to continue sheltering in place.
As a result of the shootings and the continued manhunt, a number of schools have announced that they have canceled classes for at least Thursday. The schools that have announced closings are Auburn School Department, Brunswick School Department, Lisbon School Department, Maine School Administrative District #52, Maine School Administrative District #75, Maine School Administrative District #15, Regional School Unit 1, Regional School Unit 4, Central Maine Community College, and Bates College.
Shannon Moss, the Maine State Police Public Information Officer, announced that a news conference concerning the mass shooting was scheduled to take place at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Lewiston City Hall.
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