A person of interest has been identified by police as 40-year-old Robert Card. He remains on the run as of Thursday, Oct. 26, and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to police.
Lockdowns are in place and schools in Lewiston and nearby districts have canceled classes on Thursday.
If he is seen, he should not be approached or made contact with him in any way, the Maine Public Safety Commission said.
The shootings happened Wednesday night, Oct. 25, starting at a bowling alley hosting a Youth Night at around 6:20 p.m., and a restaurant about five miles away holding a cornhole competition.
Seven fatalities have been confirmed at Sparetime Recreation and nine at Schemengees Bar, according to the Androscoggin County Sheriff.
The new number of confirmed fatalities makes it the deadliest mass shooting in the US in 2023 so far.
Card, a member of the National Guard, is a certified firearms instructor, according to a bulletin by the Maine Information and Analysis Center, which added that Card "recently reported mental health issues to include hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, ME," NBC News reports.
A white Subaru Outback the person of interest was believed to be driving was found in the town of Lisbon, about seven miles southeast of Lewiston.
Lewiston, with a population of around 37,000, is about 35 miles north of Portland, Maine, and about 140 miles north of Boston. Bates College, with an enrollment of around 1,800, is located in Lewiston.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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