Maine communities locked down after gunman kills 18; manhunt underway

The search for a mass killer in Maine continued Thursday morning with Lewiston and two other local communities still under lockdown hours after deadly shootings at two local businesses.

Many details on what happened remained unclear after the shooting at a bowling alley and a restaurant Wednesday evening.

Authorities said at a press conference Thursday morning that 18 people were killed and 13 others injured. Law enforcement sources previously told NBC News that at least 60 people were hurt, some of them while fleeing the scene and not during the actual shooting.

Seven people were shot and killed at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, including one female and six males, and eight people were shot and killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille, including 7 males inside and 1 male outside. Multiple other people were transferred to various hospitals, three of whom have died. Eight of the dead have been identified and family notified, while authorities are still working to identify the other 10.

“This is a dark day for Maine,” Gov. Janet Mills said at the press conference. “I know it’s hard for us to think about healing when our hearts are broken, but I want every person in Maine to know that we will heal together. We are strong, we are resilient, we are a very caring people, and in the days and weeks ahead, we will need to lean on those qualities more than ever before.”

Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre added that “this is truly a tragedy that goes beyond comprehension.”

An arrest warrant has now been issued for Robert Card, a 40-year-old from Bowdoin with a military background, who was initially only being sought for questioning in the case, part of a massive dragnet set up by local, state and federal law enforcement responding to one of Maine’s most brazen criminal acts in years. He is facing eight counts of murder only because the other 10 victims have not yet been identified.

“He should be considered armed and dangerous based on our investigation,” Col. William Ross from the Maine State Police said.

Anyone with information on Card’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the state police tip lines at 207-213-9526 or 207-509-9002.

“Our reality for today is this suspect is still at large,” Commissioner Mike Sauschuck of the Maine Department of Public Safety said. “But we also have an incredibly strong, laser-like focus on bringing this suspect into custody and ultimately to justice.”

“We’re actively searching for him,” he added. “We don’t know his location and I’ll leave it at that.” 

“This is an all-hands-on-deck approach,” St. Pierre noted.

A vehicle of interest was found at the Presumpscot Boat Launch in Lisbon Wednesday night, and, like in nearby Lewiston, town offices there were closed Thursday as officials issued a shelter-in-place order there as well.

Residents of Lisbon were still being told to continue sheltering in place on Thursday morning, with a specific emphasis on those between Mill Sreet in Lisbon Center and Main Street in Lisbon Falls. Many businesses in that area will also be closed. The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office had yet to retract its advice that all businesses in the area lock down or close.

Several roads are also closed in Lewiston on Thursday as the manhunt continues, including Mollison Way and River Road from Locust Street to South Avenue. Residents will be permitted onto the closed section of River Road.

Maine State Police announced shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday that the shelter in place and school closings had been expanded to the town of Bowdoin, where Card is from. People are being told to stay inside their homes while investigators continue their search.

Public schools in Lewiston, Lisbon, New Gloucester, Oxford Hills and Portland are also closed Thursday.

Bates College, which is located in Lewiston, remains on lockdown. The school said Thursday morning that no students or employees were killed in the shootings.

Bowdoin College in nearby Brunswick also canceled in-person classes Thurday due to the ongoing search for the Lewiston shooter. The campus remains in “lockout” mode until further notice.

All Hannaford Supermarkets stores in Maine are closed until at least 10 a.m. on Thursday, the company announced on Facebook. And New Balance, which has three factories in Maine, postponed the groundbreaking on its new facility in Londonderry, New Hampshire, in the wake of the tragedy.

Bates College, which is located in Lewiston, remains on lockdown. The school said Thursday morning that no students or employees were killed in the shootings.

Bowdoin College in nearby Brunswick also canceled in-person classes Thurday due to the ongoing search for the Lewiston shooter. The campus remains in “lockout” mode until further notice.

All Hannaford Supermarkets stores in Maine were closed until at least 10 a.m. on Thursday, the company announced on Facebook. And New Balance, which has three factories in Maine, postponed the groundbreaking on its new facility in Londonderry, New Hampshire, in the wake of the tragedy.

Emergency officials in neighboring New Hampshire said they are also monitoring the shootings and sharing information with local, state and federal partners.

“We stand with our friends and partners in Maine during this time,” Commissioner Robert Quinn of the New Hampshire Department of Safety said. “We are asking all New Hampshire residents to stay vigilant. If you see something suspicious, report it to local authorities or 911.”

“New Hampshire state officials have been in touch with our counterparts in Maine to offer and provide any medical and safety resources needed as they manage this horrific situation,” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu added. “Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Maine.”

Officials in Massachusetts and Connecticut have said they are also on alert and keeping tabs on the manhunt.

“No specific threats have been received, but in the interest of public safety, we are closely monitoring the situation and remain in close communication with our regional law enforcement partners,” the Connecticut State Police said in a statement Thursday morning.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she has been in touch with Maine Gov. Janet Mills and has offered her state’s support “as Maine responds to this heartbreaking tragedy.”

Wednesday’s shooting left Maine’s governor and other leaders horrified. Experts told NBC10 Boston that the person shown on the surveillance footage was evidently prepared to kill people.

Card, the suspect being sought by police, is a firearms instructor trained by the military who was recently committed to a mental health facility, according to a state police bulletin that was circulated to law enforcement officials on Wednesday night.

He is a longtime member of the Army Reserve with no combat deployments, the Army confirmed to NBC News.

Sgt. 1st Class Card is a petroleum supply specialist who enlisted in December 2002, according to Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee. His awards include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal x2, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

A bulletin put out by the Maine Information and Analysis Center, a database for law enforcement officials, said Card “recently reported mental health issues to include hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, ME.”

In a news conference on Wednesday night, Sauschuck said hundreds of officers are involved in the search.

He said a “reunification center” was set up at nearby Auburn Middle School for anyone looking to reunite with family members who are unaccounted for.

Hospitals in the area, which is north of Portland and southwest of Augusta, had activated critical care procedures to deal with the influx of casualties.

One bowler who was at Just-In-Time Recreation when the shooting started said he heard about 10 shots, thinking the first was a balloon popping.

“I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon — he was holding a weapon — I just booked it,” the man, who identified himself only as Brandon, told The Associated Press.

Brandon said he scrambled down the length of the alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing up to hide in the machinery. He was among a busload of survivors who were driven to a middle school in the neighboring city of Auburn to be reunited with family and friends.

“I was putting on my bowling shoes when when it started. I’ve been barefoot for five hours,” he said.

After the shooting, police, many armed with rifles, took up positions while the city descended into eerie quiet — punctuated by occasional sirens — as people hunkered down at home.

President Joe Biden spoke by phone to Mills and the state’s Senate and House members, offering “full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” a White House statement said. He issued a statement on Thursday condemning the shootings and calling for greater gun safety measures.

“Today, in the wake of yet another tragedy, I urge Republican lawmakers in Congress to fulfill their duty to protect the American people. Work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers,” he said. “This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars — physical and mental — of this latest attack.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.