- An active shooter event occurred at multiple locations in Lewiston, Maine, according to police.
- Local authorities say the suspected gunman is still at large as of Wednesday evening.
- Multiple people have died, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Maine State Police ordered residents in the state’s second-largest city to shelter in place Wednesday night because of an active shooter situation.
The alert for Lewiston, Maine, was made shortly after 8 p.m. as the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office reported that law enforcement agencies were investigating “two active shooter events.” The sheriff’s office said the suspect was still at large. “We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate,” the sheriff’s office reported.
Robert McCarthy, a Lewiston City Councilor, told CNN that at least 22 people were killed during the mass shootings.
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 diffuse the situation.”
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed a suspect walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulder.
The Lewiston Maine Police Department said it has identified 40-year-old Robert Card as a “person of interest regarding the mass shooting at Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation this evening.”
“CARD should be considered armed and dangerous. Please contact law enforcement if you are aware of his whereabouts,” the police department said in a statement on Facebook.
Card was a former military firearms instructor, according to a state police bulletin seen by the Associated Press. He was admitted to a mental health facility this summer for two weeks, per the bulletin. The document did not specify what Card’s mental health condition was but said he had reported hearing voices and had previously threatened to carry out a mass shooting at a military training base in Maine.
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.
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.
The Sun Journal newspaper reported that police, fire, and rescue personnel converged on Sparetime Recreation before reports of a second location at the Schemengees Bar and Grille.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
