Army reservist suspected of killing at least 16 in Maine; manhunt underway

In the sleepy town of Lewiston, Maine, parents and children were enjoying a children's bowling league at Just in Time Bowling on Wednesday night, October 26, 2023, when gunfire erupted.

The Lewiston Police Department confirmed two active shooting incidents took place at locations less than 4 miles apart: Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant and Just in Time Bowling (previously named Sparetime Recreation). A local councilor who spoke to CNN said the death toll could be as high as 22.

An eyewitness, identified only as Brandon, recounted his experience at the bowling alley, saying, "Well we were inside, just a normal night of bowling and out of nowhere he just came in and there was a loud pop. I thought it was a balloon. I had my back turned to the door and as soon as I turned and saw that it was not a balloon, he was holding a weapon, I just booked it down the lane and I slid basically into where the pins are and climbed up in the machine and was on top of the machines for about 10 minutes until the cops got there."

Ten-year-old Zoey Levesque, who was at the bowling alley with her mother, told WMTW-TV she was grazed by a bullet.

“It’s scary,” she said. “I had never thought I’d grow up and get a bullet in my leg. And it’s just like, why? Why do people do this?”

According to the AP, a police bulletin identified 40-year-old Army Reservist, Robert Card, as a "person of interest" in the Maine shooting. Card is a firearms instructor believed to be assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine, less than an hour from Lewiston.

The document said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base. Card is believed to be armed and dangerous, and a massive manhunt is underway in New England. Local schools and businesses are closed with a Shelter-in-Place order in effect.

Eric Gordon, a school representative from the University of Maine told NBC news early on Thursday that Card was a student there from 2001 to 2004 and studied engineering.

Maine documented only 17 gun homicides in 2021. Yesterday's death toll in the Maine shooting is believed to be at least 22.

According to their official city website, Lewiston, Maine, is a growing city full of possibility. Vibrant and culturally diverse with a strong sense of community, Lewiston delivers affordable, accessible and abundant opportunity.

This story is developing.

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