A gunman opened fire Oct. 25 in Lewiston, Maine, at two locations four miles apart — a restaurant and a bowling alley where a youth event was taking place. At least 18 were killed and about a dozen were injured. Authorities continue to search for the shooter.
The alleged gunman has been identified by authorities as Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin. He has been described as a firearms instructor with military experience. His car was found abandoned in Lisbon, Maine. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Terry W. Dorsett, executive director of Baptist Churches of New England, said in a statement, “We continue to lift up our brothers and sister in the Lewiston area in prayer, especially the Thomas Memorial Baptist Church, which is right around the corner from where all the shootings happened. We are in contact with trained chaplains and will deploy them if requested.”
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During a press conference on Thursday, Governor Janet Mills called for flags to be flown at half-staff for the next five days. She emphasized that all necessary resources are being deployed to find the shooter.
‘Why do people do this?’
One victim who was wounded, 10-year-old Zoey Levesque told Associated Press, “It’s scary. 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?”
ABC News reported that Riley Dumont, who was in the bowling alley, heard a loud bang. Her father, a retired police officer, “corralled them into a corner and put protection in front of them including ‘tables and a big bench that the kids were hiding behind.’”
According to CNN, federal authorities have joined the search for the shooter. CNN reported, “Investigators are looking at cell phone signals to try to identify his movement in the hours and days before the shootings, as well as examining social media and other electronic records to try to identify his whereabouts.”
Lewiston is the second largest city in Maine, located between Augusta and Portland. A shelter in place advisory has been issued for towns as far as 14 miles from Lewiston. Schools and many businesses are closed today (Oct. 26).
