Law enforcement officers block a road as they search a home on Meadow Road in Bowdoin, Maine, on October 26, 2023.
Salwan Georges | Washington Post | Getty Images
Maine authorities on Friday released the names of the 18 victims killed in a mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar in the town of Lewiston, as a massive manhunt for the suspect continues into its second day.
The names of the 18 victims were read out at a press conference Friday night. After the reading, a moment of silence was held. Their ages ranged from 14 to 76 years.
Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, Maine, is wanted on multiple murder charges. Police said Card is considered armed and dangerous and he should not be approached under any circumstances.
Officials have lifted shelter-in-place orders, but urged the public to remain vigilant when searching for cards.
18 people killed in Lewiston shooting
- Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57 years old
- Michael R. DesLauriers II, 51
- William Frank Brackett, 48 years old
Police have searched the neighborhood, combed the woods and a dive team is searching the Androscoggin River near the boat launch where Card’s white Subaru was found.
Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sorshak said law enforcement officials have received more than 530 tips and leads from the public.
On Friday, Zauschak was asked if he was worried the roads were getting colder, given that Card was still at large as the search continued into its second day.
“We are becoming more and more concerned as the situation progresses,” Zauschuk told reporters at a briefing. “That’s why we are working 24/7 to bring this person to justice and bring some closure and overall safety to our community.”
Card is a trained firearms instructor, a sergeant first class in the Army Reserve, and serves as a petroleum supply specialist. He has no record of combat deployment, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Law enforcement and Pentagon officials told NBC News that Card had been suffering from mental health issues until this summer. Army superiors sent him to an inpatient facility in July after they claimed they heard voices and made threats to the base. Card received two weeks of psychiatric treatment there and was later released, officials said.
In this image from a video released by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, a man with a gun enters Just in Time Recreation in Lewiston, Maine on October 25, 2023.
Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office (via AP)
Law enforcement officials told NBC News that the rifle used by the gunman was legally purchased this year.
Police said a gunman opened fire at Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley and Skimenzie’s Bar and Grill on Wednesday night, killing seven people at the bowling alley and eight at the bar. Three people were later confirmed dead at the hospital. The distance between both stores is approximately 12 minutes by car.
Law enforcement officials gather on the road to the home of a suspect being sought in connection with two mass shootings in Bowdoin, Maine, on Oct. 26, 2023.
Joe Radle | Getty Images
The mass shooting has reignited the long-running but politically deadlocked debate over gun control in the United States.
President Joe Biden on Thursday called on Republican lawmakers to work with Democrats to pass legislation banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, enacting universal background checks and requiring safe storage of firearms. .
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, announced Thursday that he supports a ban on assault weapons, although he previously opposed it. Golden represents the Congressional district that includes Lewiston.
“I ask for your forgiveness and support in bringing this horrific shooting to an end,” Golden said at a news conference Thursday night.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) demurred when asked if she supported banning assault weapons in the wake of the shootings. Collins said it would be more effective to outlaw high-capacity magazines.
A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines has virtually no chance of passing Congress, given that most Republicans who control the House of Representatives are adamantly opposed to gun control.
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