- Eighteen people were killed in a mass shooting in the Maine city of Lewiston and the suspected shooter is still at large.
- Police said they are hunting a man they consider "armed and dangerous."
The suspected gunman in a mass shooting in a Maine city is a firearms instructor who is in the US Army Reserve, according to a police bulletin seen by the Associated Press.
Maine State Police announced an active shooter in the city of Lewiston on Wednesday night. Lewiston Police identified two locations in the shooting: Schemengees, a restaurant and billiards hall; and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley and said Thursday morning that 18 people had been killed.
Maine State Police said on Thursday that they were searching for Robert R. Card, and that he is "considered armed and dangerous."
In a press conference Thursday morning, police said Card was still at large and that police asked residents in Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin, Maine, to shelter in place as authorities search for the suspect.
"We have an incredibly strong, laser-like focus on bringing this suspect into custody and ultimately to justice," said Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck.
In a bulletin seen by the Associated Press, Card was described as a firearms instructor who is believed to be in the Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine.
The bulletin also said Card was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023.
It said Card had reported "hearing voices and threats to shoot up" the military base, but did not give further details about what he was dealing with or his treatment.
At the press conference Thursday, Sauschuck declined to answer questions about how Card was able to own a firearm, noting that the investigation had just begun and police couldn't speak to his motive yet.
"The statutes around firearms and the possession of those are pretty complex," Sauschuck said.
The AP tried to contact Card using a phone number in public records, but the number was not in service.
An Army spokesman identified him as Sgt. 1st Class Robert R. Card II, a Petroleum Supply Specialist in the Army Reserve who enlisted in December 2002, Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin reported.
He had earned an Army Achievement Medal and a Humanitarian Service Medal, but has no combat deployments, the spokesman said.
Law enforcement urged those who see someone matching Carr's description not to approach him but instead call 911 or either tip line set up for the manhunt: (207) 213-9526 or (207) 509-9002.
Update October 26, 2023: This story was updated with the latest information about the death toll in the shooting, as well as the ongoing manhunt for the shooting suspect.