New Toll in Maine: 18 Dead, 13 Injured

Suspected gunman remains at large
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 26, 2023 10:06 AM CDT
New Toll in Maine: 18 Dead, 13 Injured
People depart a reunification center early Thursday at Auburn Middle School in Auburn, Maine, after shootings in Lewiston.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

This story has been updated with more info on the gunman and other details throughout. Authorities in Maine have updated the casualty toll from Wednesday night's mass shooting in Lewiston: A "profoundly saddened" Gov. Janet Mills said at least 18 people were killed and 13 injured, reports the AP and CNN. "This is a dark day for Maine," said Mills, per the New York Times. Meanwhile, suspected gunman Robert Card remains at large following the shootings at a crowded bowling alley and then a nearby restaurant. Residents of Lewiston and nearby towns were under shelter-in-place advisories as the manhunt continues. That includes Lisbon, where a "vehicle of interest" was discovered Wednesday night that might belong to the suspected gunman.

  • Card, 40, of Bowdoin, Maine, is an Army reservist, and he's said to have struggled with mental health issues this year, reports the Washington Post. Records show he enlisted in 2002, has no combat deployments, and was trained as a petroleum supply specialist. A police bulletin circulated to law enforcement also describes him as a firearms specialist, per the AP.
  • Many schools throughout the state were closed, and a major grocery chain, Hannaford Supermarkets, closed its stores as well, per CNN. LL Bean closed its headquarters, flagship store, and other facilities.
  • This is the 36th mass killing in the US this year, according to a database maintained by the AP and USA Today.
  • "None of this seems real, but unfortunately it is," Just-In-Time Recreation (the bowling alley) wrote on its Facebook page Thursday morning. "We are devastated for our community and our staff. We lost some amazing and whole hearted people from our bowling family and community last night. There are no words to fix this or make it better. We are praying for everyone who has been affected by this horrific tragedy. We love you all and hold you close in our hearts."
  • A survivor's quote from the bowling alley: "I was laying on top of my daughter. My mother was laying on top of me," Riley Dumont tells the Post. The gunfire "felt like it lasted a lifetime. … I just remember people sobbing, shaking."
  • "This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security," said Gov. Mills. "No city does—no state, no people."
(More Maine stories.)

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