During a press conference on Thursday, Maine officials gave an update on the two mass shootings that rocked the state late on Wednesday night.
According to Maine Gov. Janet Mills, at least 18 people were killed in the shootings that took place at a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine. Mills added that another 13 people were injured but did not share the extent of their injuries.
So far, authorities have identified eight of the victims in Wednesday’s shooting and are working to identify the other 10.
Mills shared that she is “profoundly saddened” by the tragedy and working to help find the suspect responsible.
The main suspect in the shooting has been identified as 40-year-old Robert Card. Police have launched a statewide manhunt for Card, who police say is facing at least eight counts of murder, according to Maine State Police Col. William G. Ross.
During the press conference police also shared that an arrest warrant has been issued for Card.
Officials are pleading with the public for their help in locating Card. A shelter-in-place order has been in effect for the cities of Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin Wednesday night, but Lisbon Police Chief Ryan McGee said on Thursday to reach out if “you see something suspicious if something isn’t right.”
“If you look out in your yard, and you’re like, that door wasn’t open, or that trailer wasn’t positioned that way – if you see anything suspicious, please call us,” he added.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation. In response, he ordered all flags to be lowered to half-staff as “a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on October 25, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine,” according to the White House.
Biden has still not issued a statement on the shooting.
“This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security,” Mills said. “No city does — no state, no people.”
Mills said that Maine has “long been known as one of the safest states in the nation” but that this “attack strikes at the very heart of who we are.”
“All Maine people are sharing in the sorrow of the families who lost loved ones last night,” Mills said. “Loved ones: normal people who were killed or injured while unwinding from a day of work or while spending time with their family and friends, socializing.”