Maine authorities search for suspect in Lewiston mass shootings

LEWISTON, Maine. (WLNE) — Maine Gov. Janet Mills said unity is needed now more than ever after multiple shootings that claimed at least 18 lives.

“Our small state of just 1.3 million people has long been known as the safest state in the nation, this attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear in this precious place we call home,” she said in a media briefing Thursday.

“So, on behalf of the 1.3 million people in this state, I hold these families in my heart,” Mills said.

Authorities are searching for the suspect, 40-year-old Robert Card.

He is accused of fatally shooting at least 18 people and injuring several others on Wednesday night. The first shooting happened at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston during a “youth night” for a kid’s bowling league.

The second shooting happened at a local restaurant about four miles away.

Authorities said Card is a firearms instructor with a history of military service.

He was treated at a mental health facility over the summer after allegedly claiming he heard voices.

Card has been on the run from authorities, triggering a shelter-in-place order in Lewiston and neighboring Lisbon — where police found a white Subaru believed to be Card’s.

The car was found with the door open and its lights on.

Card is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities said there is no credible information that Card has left Maine.

Anything suspicious should be immediately reported to 911.