- Manhunt for US reservist
- Mass shooting in Maine
- Evacuations, lockdowns, search
Maine police are searching for the US Army reserve suspected of a horrific shooting that killed 18 and injured 13.
Hundreds of FBI agents and police officers are conducting a search for Robert Card, who is reportedly armed and dangerous.
Evacuations and Lockdowns
Personnel and establishments have been compelled to evacuate, with some seeking refuge up to 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the locations where the shootings occurred in Lewiston on Wednesday.
Thursday evening, police conducted a property search in the adjacent Bowdoin.
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A portion of the investigation was broadcast live on television as warrants were executed in the municipality. Approximately twenty minutes’ travel time from Lewiston.
Police used a loudhailer to order Mr. Card to surrender and leave a residence ‘with your hands up’
A number of hours later, the police cleared the area.
An official stated that police were “simply doing their due diligence by pursuing every lead in an effort to locate and apprehend Card.” It is unknown what prompted the investigation.
The gun violence on Wednesday was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which excludes the perpetrator from incidents involving four or more casualties.
The mass shooting is regarded as the deadliest ever documented in Maine, one of the least populous states in the United States, where gun ownership is high but gun violence is relatively low. Almost exactly as many victims fell as the state’s tally of homicides for the entire year of 2022.
After the incident, Marine Corps veteran and congressman Jared Golden advocated for assault weapons bans. Prior to this, he had expressed opposition to such a proposal on Capitol Hill.
“The moment has come for me to accept accountability for this setback,” stated Mr. Golden, a native of Lewiston. Which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing.
Law Enforcement’s Efforts
The ongoing international search for Mr. Card, which encompasses air, land, and water, has now progressed to its third day.
A police colonel said the incident began at a Lewiston bowling alley before 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Wednesday. There, six men and one woman were slain.
Eight additional males were fatally shot at the nearby Schemengees Bar & Grille, where gunfire was reported within ten minutes.
Three of the sixteen injured individuals who were initially transported to nearby hospitals subsequently passed away.
Three neighbouring communities, including Lewiston, continue to be advised to remain in place. In addition to the majority of local businesses and schools, many will continue to be closed on Friday.
With the exception of a few dog walkers, it appeared that the majority of individuals remained at home on Thursday. There are police presence in the streets.
Activity was scarce outside of the vicinity of the two gunshot locations and the Central Maine Medical Centre.
The chief medical officer, Dr. John Alexander, described the attack as “unprecedented” for the tiny city. He estimated that approximately fifty surgeons, nurses, and medical professionals responded to the appeal for assistance in treating the victims.
The suspect recently disclosed mental health issues, including “hearing voices and threats to shoot up a military installation in southern Maine,” according to the Maine State Police.
According to reports, he was committed to a mental health treatment facility during the summer as a result of his erratic behaviour during US Military Academy training.
Katie Card, the suspect’s sister-in-law, stated in an interview with NBC News that family members had notified law enforcement and the military that he was undergoing a “acute” mental health crisis.
According to reports, he also suffered from a “manic belief” in which voices spoke “horrible” things about him.
“He was just very set in his belief that everyone was against him all of a sudden,” Ms Card asserted.
Police denied that he taught firearms, saying “there was no indication he attended advanced weaponry courses.”
Former Lewiston resident and Maine governor Janet Mills referred to the incident as a “dark day” for her state and vowed to “seek complete justice for the victims and their families.”
FBI and other federal law enforcement organisations are helping local and state officials in their pursuit. Since the suspect may have crossed state lines, adjacent states are giving resources and monitoring.
Additionally, border officials in Canada have been issued a wary stance regarding the suspect.
Schemengees Bar & Grille wrote in a Facebook post: “Without warning, your universe can be abruptly and unexpectedly turned upside down in an instant. Exceptional individuals have been lost in this community. “What is the logical basis for this?”
The initial site of the attack, Just-In-Time Recreation, published the following online: “While none of this appears to be genuine, sadly it is… “Nothing can be said to correct or improve this situation.”
Biden also ordered the White House and other federal facilities to lower their flags to half-mast in honour of the departed.
Furthermore, he urged Republican members of Congress to enact legislation pertaining to firearms safety.
“This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars – physical and mental – of this latest attack,” said the president.
Thursday, during a news conference, Senator Susan Collins of Maine advocated for the prohibition of high-capacity magazines.
“Our hearts are heavy with sorrow,” she communicated to the press. “This abhorrent assault, which has claimed the lives of a minimum of 18 Mainers and caused injuries to countless others, is the most severe mass shooting Maine has ever encountered and could never conceive of.”
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