Mourners gather at Saturday vigil to honor the victims

8 p.m.: On Saturday night, mourners gathered at Lisbon Falls Park on the banks of the Androscoggin River to show support for the victims of the shootings. The vigil was organized by Positive Change Lisbon, and the sole speaker was Pastor Jonathan James of Lisbon Falls Baptist Church.

“I don’t have answers for all the things that happened this past week,” James said. “How do we have hope in times like this?”

James proceeded to read several psalms and Bible verses to a quiet crowd. He was joined by an American Sign Language interpreter in front of the crowd; several members of the Deaf community were among the victims killed in Schemengees Bar & Grill.

Jen Durasp, 58, of Westbrook, stood near the front of the crowd and said she came to start the grieving process, now that the gunman was dead and the lockdown was rescinded.

“I want to trust the basic goodness in all of us, but during this process, I’ve felt paranoid and scared,” she said.

Christy Wallace, 42, came to the vigil with her young children.

“I told my kids that someone came and hurt a bunch of people, and we’re just here for the people that he hurt,” Wallace said.

“People died, sadly,” said her 8-year-old daughter, Malea, explaining what she understood had taken place in her town this week.

As James spoke, a full moon rose over the crowd. A woman in a neon shirt held a sign with the victims’ names high in the air as James recited Psalm 91, known as “the warrior’s prayer,” he said.

“Surely he will save you,” he recited. “His faithfulness will be your shield in rampart.” As members of the crowd nodded their heads and mouthed the prayer along with the pastor, many in the community said they still don’t feel safe.

“I can’t help but think about gun legislation, how long is it gonna take?” Dusap said. “This should be it, this is enough.”

As the pastor wound down his sermon and the sky turned black, the crowd broke into song. The song was “Amazing Grace.”

– Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald)

Maine police knew in September that Card had threatened fellow soldiers

Police across Maine were alerted just last month to “veiled threats” by the U.S. Army reservist who would go on to carry out the worst mass shooting in the state’s history, one of a string of missed red flags that preceded Wednesday’s massacre.

Two local law enforcement chiefs told The Associated Press that a statewide awareness alert was sent in mid-September to be on the lookout for Robert Card after the firearms instructor made threats against his base and fellow soldiers. But after stepped-up patrols of the base and a visit to Card’s home – neither of which turned up any sign of him – they moved on.

“We added extra patrols; we did that for about two weeks. … The guy never showed up,” said Jack Clements, the police chief in Saco, home to the U.S. Army Reserve base where Card trained.

Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry, whose jurisdiction includes Card’s home in Bowdoin, said the Army Reserve tipped his department in September to the reservist’s threats, and the sheriff sent the awareness alert to every law enforcement agency in the state after his deputy came back empty-handed from a welfare check to Card’s home.

“We couldn’t locate him,” Merry said, adding that he couldn’t recall if there was any follow-up because “I don’t have any reports in front of me.”

– Associated Press 

Mental health calls are up

5:02 p.m. Calls to the Maine Crisis Line were up 40% from the average as of Saturday morning. Mental health providers say that the emotional impacts of the shooting would begin to fully set in once Card was apprehended and the names of the victims were released.

“In general, we are hearing from many folks who are feeling anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and trying to make sense of everything that has happened,” said Christina Cook with the Opportunity Alliance.

– Kay Neufeld (Press Herald)

Mental health resources:

If your life or someone else’s life is in immediate danger, dial 911.
Maine Crisis Hotline: 1 (888) 568-1112
Maine’s warm-line for non-crisis calls: 1 (866) 771-9276
Other state resources in Maine: 211
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

Bates students look to donate blood

4:11 p.m. Two Bates College students said they were surprised to find the Auburn Red Cross location closed Saturday morning. They had signed up to donate blood with their friends in the wake of the Lewiston shootings.

Sophomores Ella Nichol and Emma Erkkila figured it was a way to give back to their community because as they put it, “Lewiston is home.”

They plan to try again another time.

Nichol and Erkkila were in the Bates gym when the campus went into lockdown Wednesday night. They stayed overnight in the men’s football locker room before the campus gave them permission Thursday morning to make scheduled runs to the food court.

“It’s cliché, but you hear about (shootings) and you don’t think it can happen to your community,” Nichol said. “We were locked down on campus and the shelter-in-place was just lifted this (Saturday) morning.”

Erkkila is an exchange student from Finland and when the shooting happened Wednesday night, her parents were seven hours ahead and already asleep.

“My mom texted me and apologized for sending me to school in the U.S.,” Erikkila said.

– Emily Duggan (Kennebec Journal) 

Just-In-Time Recreation shooting survivor starting to walk again

4:02 p.m. Thomas Giberti started walking again with assistance from medial professionals on Friday, just two days after being shot seven times in the legs at Just-In-Time Recreation, according to his nephew, Will Bourgault.

Giberti, who comes from a long line of bowlers and is a manager at the alley, was watching the youth league bowling team with friends on Wednesday night, his nephew said.

When he came back to the lanes after grabbing a screwdriver in the back of the building, Giberti told his nephew that he saw flashes of light. Robert Card had entered the building and fired dozens of shots, killing eight people and wounding several others.

Giberti was shot as he helped some of the children, frozen in fear, escape out of the back door.  Stuck in the doorway, Giberti tried to pull himself through; Card shot him several more times before he made it completely through the door, Bourgault said.

Another survivor helped Giberti place a tourniquet on his legs and he was later taken to the hospital by ambulance, according to his nephew.

Giberti is reluctant to call himself a hero, Bourgault says, but that is exactly what he is, “He’s always been my hero.”

Bourgault describes Giberti as genuine and willing to lend a hand to others. He said Giberti remains in good spirits and is making jokes with those around him.

– Kendra Caruso (Sun Journal)

No sign of police at Maine Recycling

3:00 p.m. Just before 2:30 p.m. Saturday, when a Sun Journal photographer went to Maine Recycling in Lisbon, she observed the gate into the overflow lot where Card’s body was found was open. There was no police tape keeping the public out, and no police presence in the lot where dozens of trailers are being stored.

Asked if the trailer where Card’s body was found had been moved, Maine Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Shannon Moss said the trailer was still there but had been locked up to preserve the scene.

– (Sun Journal)

Lewiston mayor: ‘It’s time to take a breath, begin to mourn our dead, and try to heal’

2:00 p.m. In a written statement, Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said, “I know I speak for the entire city when I say that the men and women of Lewiston Police Department, Maine State Police, and the many other law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation have our profound gratitude. Now it’s time to take a breath, begin to mourn our dead, and try to heal.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Lewiston people are known for our strength and grit and we will need both in the days to come.”

– Judy Meyer (Sun Journal)

Makeshift memorial honors deaf victims shot in Lewiston

1:28 p.m. At the intersection where Lincoln Street turns to River Road in Lewiston, about a half block from Schemengees Bar & Grille, four pots of pink, yellow and red mums sit in plastic containers. A stick of wood in the ground displays a laminated image of Steve Vozzella, Joshua Seal, Bill Brackett and Bryan MacFarlane. The memorial commemorates the four deaf victims of the shootings.

On Mollison Way, the parking lot at Just-in-Time Recreation was full of cars on Saturday afternoon. The FBI was present and police blocked the roads leading to the lot. Below a sign about a block away, with the words ‘Just in Time’ printed in chunky blue letters, lay a single bouquet of yellow roses.

– Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald)

Moment of silence for shooting victims before UMaine football game

1:11 p.m. Prior to its football game in Orono against Albany Saturday afternoon, the University of Maine held a moment of silence for the victims of the Lewiston mass shootings. The names of each of the 18 people killed Wednesday were read, and their photos were displayed on the Alfond Stadium scoreboard before the moment of silence was observed.

– Travis Lazarczyk (Press Herald)

Police continue to probe scene where Card’s body was found

12:50 p.m. There was a quiet scene at Maine Recycling Corporation in Lisbon on Saturday afternoon. A single police cruiser blocked off the road leading to the overflow lot where Robert Card’s body was found. It was a warm day and the spotless blue sky was pierced only by a helicopter circling overhead. A large crew from Fox News milled around the area with cameras, but otherwise it was largely empty.

A quarter mile down the road, the Major Crimes division from the Maine State Police continued to investigate the scene near where Card’s body was found. Lisbon Police Chief Ryan McGee said it is still unknown when Card died, but he added that Card was familiar with the recycling center because he had worked there in the past. Police aren’t sure yet if Card forced entry into the trailer in which he was found or simply walked in.

– Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald)

FBI: ‘Our work does not stop’ on the investigation

12:30 p.m. The FBI’s Boston Division released a statement Saturday from Jodi Cohen, its special agent in charge of the investigation of the Lewiston shootings:

“First and foremost, our condolences to the victims, their families, and the community. From the onset of this tragic situation, the FBI has been working around the clock to support our law enforcement partners, deploying more than 350 special agents, analysts, task force officers, and support personnel to assist in this investigation. In addition to this extra manpower, all our specialty teams were activated, including Evidence Response, SWAT, the Hostage Rescue Team, and the Victim Services Response Team, just to name a few.

“Even though the suspect was found deceased last night, our work does not stop. There are many questions that need to be answered, there is a lot of evidence to be processed, and most importantly the victims and their families deserve special care and consideration.

“Today, we are opening the family assistance center to do everything we can to meet the needs of those whose lives have been changed forever. The FBI has over 40 victim specialists from all over the country who are here to support our partners in meeting the needs of the victims and their loved ones.

“We helped our law enforcement partners create this one central space for victims to gather so they don’t have to make multiple stops as they seek help.

“At this Family Assistance Center, they will be able to access a variety of resources, everything from mental health services, financial aid, spiritual care, and victim advocacy.

“We also want to encourage individuals who were present at the shooting sites, but not physically injured, to visit this center and take advantage of the services being offered.

“The toll this type of tragedy takes on victims’ and their families is immeasurable and we ask everyone to respect their privacy at this difficult time. We also ask the public to be patient as law enforcement continues to run every lead to ground so we can get the victims, their families, and the community the answers they deserve.”

Vigils planned this weekend for shooting victims

11:48 a.m. At this morning’s press conference, officials announced that there would be two vigils for the victims of Wednesday’s shootings. The first will be a candlelight vigil scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at the waterfront Worumbo Mill park in downtown Lisbon, the second will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Franco Center on Cedar Street in Lewiston.

Also, Prince of Peace Catholic Parish is hosting two events in Lewiston in remembrance of the victims.

Today, Holy Family Church on Sabattus Street will be open from noon to 4 p.m. for quiet prayer and rest.

On Sunday, a service will be held at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul on Ash Street from 2 to 3 p.m.

A candle will be lit for all who died and the church will ring its bells during the candle lighting, followed by a moment of silence for each of the deceased. The service is open to the public.

– Judy Meyer (Sun Journal)

Recycling company where Card’s body was found says he left his job voluntarily

11: 20 a.m. Maine Recycling Corporation, where Robert Card’s body was found in a trailer, said Saturday that Card worked there until late spring and left of his own accord.

Card was employed at the Lisbon company as a commercial driver for about a year and a half, MRC said in a statement.

The company has been working with authorities, MRC said.

“We understand that Maine Recycling Corporation (MRC) is now a part of this tragic story, and as such, we continue to assist this investigation in every way possible, the company said.

“We may never know, and certainly will never comprehend, why he committed these horrific acts against our neighbors and friends, or why he chose to end his life where he did,” the statement said. “We do know that our employees, along with the rest of our community, are shaken to the core. … We ask that media please do them the courtesy of allowing them privacy to grieve this heinous act.”

– Nita Lelyveld (Press Herald)

Maine State Police found Card’s body in a trailer at the recycling company

10:30 a.m. A Maine State Police tactical team found the body of Robert Card on Friday evening in a trailer at the Maine Recycling Corporation, authorities said Saturday morning.

The trailer was located in an overflow parking lot at the company, which is located in Lisbon, said Mike Sauschuck, Public Safety Commissioner.

Card used to work at the business at 61 Capital Ave. It had been checked and cleared twice by local police, but authorities did not learn until later in the search – from the company – that there was an overflow parking lot across the street, Sauschuck said at a Saturday morning news briefing.

“We cleared trailers there at that business footprint. We had no idea across the street there was an overflow parking lot,” he said.

Card, who is accused of murdering 18 people and injuring 13 more in Lewiston Wednesday night, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said Sauschuck.

A long gun was found in Card’s car on Wednesday night, and two firearms were found with his body on Friday.

An unidentified agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said at the news conference that authorities recovered “a number of firearms” belonging to Card, some of which were purchased recently and some several years ago. All of the firearms were purchased legally by Card, the agent said.

Police will continue to work through the weekend gathering physical evidence at the recycling corporation, Schemengees Bar & Grille and Just-In-Time Recreation, Sauschuck said.

The Maine Recycling Corp. issued a statement Saturday morning, saying that Card had worked at the company until late last spring, when he left voluntarily.

It is not yet clear how long Card was dead before he was discovered, Sauschuck said. An autopsy should provide more information. “When he took his own life, I don’t have an answer to that,” Sauschuck said. “We’ll probably have a range-ish from the medical examiner’s office.”

Speaking of Card’s motive for the shootings, Sauschuck said, “I think clearly there’s a mental health component to this.”

“The individual felt people were talking about him,” Sauschuck said of Card. “It may even appear there are some voices in play here.”

That paranoia led to shoot at the two specific locations, Sauschuck said.

“In this scenario I have not seen to this point that Mr. Card was forcibly committed for treatment,” he said, meaning that any background check from a firearms dealer would not have indicated that he was prohibited from owning a gun.

The manhunt for Card lasted for 48 hours. During that time, Lewiston, Lisbon and Bowdoin were all under shelter-in-place orders. Since Card was found, lockdowns have been lifted, stores have reopened and people have began to restart their lives.

While authorities have identified all 18 of the people killed in Lewiston, Sauschuck said Saturday he did not have identities of the injured.

Following the announcement that Card had been found, politicians came out to say how grateful they were that the search was over but that they know hard times lie ahead for Mainers.

“Like many people, I’m breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” said Gov. Janet Mills. “I know there are some people, many people that share that sentiment, but I know that his death may not bring solace to many.”

Sen. Susan Collins said she knows that Mainers who were impacted by the mass shooting are in pain, but she hopes they can find comfort in the fact that many in Maine and the country are thinking of them.

Collins also thanked the police for their work. “Tonight, Mainers can breathe a collective sigh of relief thanks to the brave first responders who worked night and day to find this killer,” Collins said.

– Lana Cohen (Press Herald) and Scott Monroe (Kennebec Journal)

Brother, uncle of victims says it’s hard to plan funerals without information

9:20 a.m. A relative of two people killed in the Lewiston mass shootings said Saturday that families are unable to plan funerals because they have little to no information from officials about victims’ bodies.

Funeral homes in the Lewiston area do not have services planned over the weekend.

Rob Young, the uncle of Aaron Young, 14, and brother of William Young, 43, the father-son-pair who died Wednesday night in the Lewiston mass shooting while they were bowling at Just-in-Time Recreation, said there are no funeral arrangements at this time because the location and status of the bodies are not yet known.

“We don’t have anything planned,” Young said. “They aren’t releasing the bodies. We literally have zero information from anyone.”

– Emily Duggan (Kennebec Journal)

Pingree says now is the time for gun control

8:15 a.m. In the wake of the manhunt, Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree is speaking out about gun control.

“Now is the time to make some real change,” Pingree, who represents Maine’s 1st District, wrote in a post on X around midnight Friday night.

She used the hashtag #BanAssaultWeapons.

– Lana Cohen (Press Herald)

Lewiston opens up again, with people eager to come together

8:06 a.m After 48 hours in lockdown, Lewiston establishments are opening their doors for community members to gather and to try and restore some semblance of normalcy.

Gift shops, breweries, theatres and restaurants are planning to open Saturday.

“The monster that has terrorized our community has been found, and does not pose a threat to us any longer,” wrote the Rusty Bus Brewing Company in a Facebook post early Saturday morning.

“Now our community can come together to grieve the loss of our friends and family and try to understand how we can move forward.”

– Lana Cohen (Press Herald)

City of Lewiston sets up fundraising site

7:50 a.m The city of Lewiston has created a fundraising page to donate to those impacted by the shooting.

“There has been an outpouring of interest in making donations for the individuals and families impacted by the tragic occurrences on Oct. 25 in the City of Lewiston,” the city’s website says.

Here is the link to the site: lewistonmaine.gov/OneLewiston

“Thank you, Lewiston, as well as those who care from near and far,” the announcement said.

– Lana Cohen (Press Herald)   

Family assistance center to open at Lewiston Armory

7:20 a.m. A family assistance center for those impacted by Wednesday night’s mass shooting will open in the Lewiston Armory located at 65 Central Ave. from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

The space will be open to victims, victims’ loved ones and anyone who was present during the shooting, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigations news release.

Mental health services, financial aid, spiritual services and victim advocacy and support services will all be available at the center. A mental health assistance center at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston will be open to the greater community.

See here for more information.

– Lana Cohen (Press Herald)

---

Card died of apparent self-inflicted gunshot

Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said some locations were searched multiple times during the manhunt. Sauschuck said another press conference would be held Saturday and that more details would be shared. But officials wanted to get the news of Card’s death out as soon as they could Friday.

Sauschuck said Card’s body was found at 7:45 p.m. Friday near the river in Lisbon. When asked if police knew when Card died, Sauschuck said more investigation would be needed to answer that.

When asked if Card was found near a recycling business he worked at, Sauschuck said that was something that would be looked into.

Sauschuck said Card died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

– Ray Routhier (Press Herald)

Sen. King expresses relief

U.S. Senator Angus King, sent out a statement expressing his relief over the end of the manhunt for Robert Card:

“Tonight, I join my neighbors and friends in a communal sense of relief. We are grateful to law enforcement and first responders, for fifty hours of nonstop dedication and determination that brought us this relief. It will take a long, long time to process this pain, but Maine people have grit, resolve and heart and we will come together through this difficult grieving period and hope for brighter, calmer days.”

– Ray Routhier (Press Herald)

Mills says now is ‘time to heal’

10:20 p.m.: Law enforcement and state officials gave more details about the discovery of Card’s body at a press conference at Lewiston City Hall Friday around 10:20 p.m.

Gov. Janet Mills was hoarse as she opened Friday’s late press conference.

“This discovery is entirely thanks to the hundreds of local, county state and federal law enforcement,” Mills said. “On behalf of all Maine people I want to express my profound gratitude for their unwavering bravery and determination and fortitude.”

“Like many people, I’m breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” she said. “I know there are some people, many people that share that sentiment but I know that his death may not bring solace to many.”

She said now is the time to heal and “bring what closure we can to the victims and their families.”

– Ray Routhier (Press Herald)

Suspect found dead

LISBON — The body of the man accused of killing 18 people in Lewiston Wednesday was found Friday night near a recycling area in Lisbon.

Police called a hasty press conference at Lewiston City Hall Friday night to announce the news that the body of Robert Card had been found. By then, several people had heard that Card was found dead and that the threat posed by the accused mass killer was over.

Police had been searching for the 40–year-old Bowdoin man since Wednesday night when he allegedly gunned down more than 30 people, killing 18, at two different locations in Lewiston.

Some witnesses reported that Card was found dead wearing the same clothes he had on when he went on the shooting rampage at Spare Time Recreation and Schemengees in Lewiston. Several others said it appeared Card had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police later confirmed the details.

Those who live in the area said Card’s body was found near a recycling center where he used to work. The area is just under a mile from the boat launch where Card’s Subaru was found Wednesday night.

Several people in Lisbon had reported a sudden surge in police activity in town around 8 p.m., as local, state and federal police continued the three-day manhunt. At about 9 p.m., Maine State Police called the press conference at Lewiston City Hall to announce the news.

“So happy this nightmare is over,” said John Riordan, who lives near the scene, “and hopefully the families can get some closure. It will be nice to get back to some state of normalcy.”

– Mark LaFlamme (Sun Journal)

Sen. Collins says Mainers can ‘breathe a sigh of relief’

9:55 p.m.: U.S. Senator Susan Collins released a statement Friday night after getting confirmation that the Lewiston shooter has been found dead:

“Tonight, Mainers can breathe a collective sigh of relief thanks to the brave first responders who worked night and day to find this killer.

“When President Biden called me this evening to tell me the perpetrator of the heinous attacks in Lewiston had been found, we both expressed our profound appreciation for the courage and determination of these brave men and women.

“I want to also thank Governor Mills for her steadfast leadership, the health care workers who cared for the victims, the city officials who have worked tirelessly, and the people of Maine who came together in the wake of this attack.

“To the families who lost loved ones and to those injured by this attack, I know that no words can diminish the shock, pain, and justifiable anger you feel. It is my hope that you will find solace and strength in knowing that you are in the hearts of people throughout Maine and across the nation.”

– Ray Routhier (Press Herald)

Celtics wearing warmups and jerseys with tributes to Maine

8:24 p.m. The Boston Celtics are wearing green warmup shirts with “Maine” across the front and MAINE patches on their jerseys during tonight’s game against the Miami Heat. A post on their Facebook says “For Lewiston” with a green heart.

– Amber Carter (Press Herald)

State to open center to assist victims and their families

7:20 p.m. Victims of the mass shootings in Lewiston can receive help and support from a new family assistance center, officials said Friday evening.

The center will open Saturday at the Lewiston Amory at 65 Central Ave. It’s intended as “one central space for victims and their support persons to gather so they don’t have to make multiple stops as they seek assistance,” said Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety. The space also is open for people who were there at the shooting sites, but not physically injured.

Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Officials did not say whether it would be open for additional days beyond Saturday, except that it “will remain open for an adequate period of time to allow access for all victims.”

The Maine State Police will run the center in conjunction with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, the Red Cross and the FBI Victim Services Division.

Moss said media will not be allowed to enter the center because of victims’ privacy concerns and there will be “a significant police presence” there to address security concerns.

In addition, a separate site providing mental health assistance will open at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston “for the larger community,” Moss said. Victims and people supporting them will be able to access resources such as mental health services, financial aid, spiritual care, and access to victim advocacy and support services. More information about that site is available at the city of Lewiston’s Facebook page.

Moss also pointed to a FBI page online with information about both services.

– Scott Monroe (Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel)

Commissioner says attorney general trying to complete all 18 murder warrants

7:18 p.m. Asked whether all 18 arrest warrants had been issued charging Robert Card with murder, Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said, “That’s a good question that I don’t know the answer to. I know that the attorney general’s office told us this afternoon that they were trying to complete the rest of those warrants in a timely fashion. Now that those individuals (victims) have been identified and the families notified.”

– Chris Williams (Sun Journal)

An avid darts and cornhole player, Billy Brackett also was a new father

6:58 p.m. Billy Brackett was an avid darts and cornhole competitor who deeply loved his wife, Kristina, and the family they had created in just the last three years, said Brian Smith, Brackett’s brother-in-law.

“He was a very kind, gentle soul,” Smith said. “He didn’t speak very well because of his hearing loss, so he didn’t say much. A lot of people called him a silent giant.”

Brackett, 48, was at Schemengees Bar and Grill when a shooter opened fire Wednesday night, killing eight people at the Lincoln Street restaurant.

Brackett was at the restaurant, as he often was, for a cornhole tournament, Smith said. He declined to say more about what happened there for fear it would compromise the investigation and search for the shooter.

Brackett, who lived in Brunswick, was one of four people killed Wednesday who were members of Maine’s tight-knit Deaf community, said Karen Hopkins, executive director of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf in Falmouth.

“Our community is grieving deeply,” Hopkins wrote on Facebook. “We lost four of our cherished community members in (the) Lewiston shootings.”

Billy and Kristina Brackett met through mutual friends in the deaf community and she quickly became his biggest supporter at tournaments, Smith said. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing, and he had worked part time for UPS and Fed Ex.

The couple married in August 2020 and had a daughter, Sandra, who is 2 ½.

Brackett’s wife and daughter are devastated, Smith said.

“Sandra doesn’t fully understand what has happened because she is also deaf,” he said.

Family members and friends in the deaf community are supporting Brackett’s wife and daughter this difficult time, Smith said. A fundraiser has been set up at gofundme.com to help with funeral expenses, hearing aids and other equipment, and future educational costs.

“Both Billy and Kristina are low-income and their daughter has significant needs,” Smith said. “Nobody expects to lose their spouse like this.”

– Kelley Bouchard (Press Herald)

Commissioner explains response of officers who first arrived at the bowling alley

6:35 p.m. Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck on changes to the timeline of police response to the shootings: “Officers are required to qualify a certain number of times a year (at the range). So in this particular instance, the officers are in plainclothes, they’re shooting at a range right around the corner, the call comes in, they hear that and they’re going to respond, which just speaks to when these things happen, everybody’s going. You could be a detective, the chief out of the station, you could be wherever, everybody goes. So being Lewiston officers … everybody gets in the car, and they immediately go to Spare Time to help in any way they can, not knowing that, in fact, they’re going to be the closest there and the first out, so that cuts almost 2 ½ minutes off the original, or the initial uniformed police officers response. And that’s not uncommon.”

– Chris Williams (Sun Journal)

Governor shares her grief over death of friend who was among 18 killed 

6:05 p.m. Gov. Janet Mills said Friday night that she is remembering her friend, Josh Seal, who was among the 18 people that law enforcement identified as among the dead.

“The victims of this tragedy are our family, friends, colleagues and neighbors. It is often said that our state is ‘one big, small town’ because Maine is such a close-knit community. Many of us know the victims personally, including me, who lost a friend in Josh Seal, who Maine people fondly remember from his service as an ASL interpreter during our COVID-19 briefings,” Mills said in a statement. “I am heartbroken for the families of these victims, including Aaron Young who was just 14 years old.”

Mills asked the people of Maine to read their stories tonight and learn who these victims were, “celebrating them as beloved people, and mourning them as irreplaceable.”

“My heart continues to go out to those who are recovering from their injuries, and we remain committed to seeking justice for all those impacted by this unspeakable tragedy.”

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald)

Officials release description of suspect

5:33 p.m. Sauschuck released a more detailed description of the suspect, Robert Card, 40.

Card is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs about 230 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes.

He was last seen in a brown hooded sweatshirt and dark colored cargo pants.

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald)

Police arrived at bowling alley within 2 minutes 

5:30 p.m. Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said off-duty Lewiston police officers responded to the bowling alley within about a minute and a half of the first 911 call.

Uniformed, officers on patrol arrived within four minutes, he said.

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald)

Commissioner corrects timeline in victim identifications

5:21 p.m. Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck acknowledged in a 5 p.m. press briefing that he had made a mistake seven hours earlier when he said police had identified and notified only eight of the 18 victims’ families.

“I was a wrong,” he said, clarifying that police were juggling three different lists of victims and that the miscommunication was his.

Sauschuck said all families were notified of the deaths of their family members.

– Carol Coultas (Press Herald)

State police identifies 18 victims 

5:15 p.m. Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck released the names of all 18 victims killed in Lewiston Wednesday.

Ronald G. Morin, 55
Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40
Joshua A. Seal, 36
Bryan MacFarlane, 41
Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57
Arthur Fred Strout, 42
Maxx A. Hathaway, 35
Stephen Vozzella, 45
Thomas Ryan Conrad, 34
Michael R. Deslauriers II, 51
Jason Adam Walker, 51
Tricia Asselin, 53
William A. Young, 44
Aaron Young, 14
Robert E. Violette, 76
Lucille M. Violette, 73
William Frank Brackett, 48
Keith Macneir, 64

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald)

Three victims still in critical condition

5:05 p.m. Four victims of the shooting remain hospitalized at Central Maine Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson said Friday afternoon.

Three are in critical condition, and one is stable. Another two injured people were being discharged from the hospital Friday.

Hospital spokesperson Jim Cyr said in an email that another person was discharged Thursday and one person was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital Thursday. The public affairs office at Mass General did not immediately respond to a request for a patient status update Friday afternoon.

CMMC previously said that another patient had been transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland and one person was taken directly from the scene to St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston.

Spokespeople for Maine Med and St. Mary’s said both of those patients have been treated and released.

– Rachel Ohm (Press Herald)

Family identifies Arthur Strout as Schemengee’s victim

4:56 p.m. Arthur Strout was a Christmas person. Sometimes as early as Halloween he would get all his kids together, clean the house, put on Christmas music and put up a tree in his living room. He’d fix the branches so they sat just right, then his wife, Kristy Strout, and their blended family of five kids, would wrap the tree in tinsel and lights.

“If it wasn’t perfect, he’d go back to make sure it was perfect and looked like one of those pictures out of a magazine,” Kristy said.

Arthur, 42, was born to Rena Stroud and Arthur Bernard in Lewiston, where he lived all his life. He was a whiz at computers and worked fixing computers and cars part-time around town. He was married to his wife, Kristy for nearly seven years. The two started dating 16 years ago.

Together, they share a 13-year-old daughter, Brianna, whose birthday is on Halloween. She had planned to stay home with her parents and pass out candy.

Arthur also had two children from a previous relationship, Marus, 23, and Milo, 19, and two step-children, Summer, 18 and Logan, 17.

The Strouts lived together with all their children and were raising them as a blended family.

Arthur had planned to adopt Logan when he turned 18. “Now, he won’t get that chance, it really hurt Logan to know he won’t have him to guide him and be a role model anymore,” said Kristy.

Arthur’s friends and family describe him as a family man who always took care of his children. “He always took care of me and the kids, he was home with them a lot because I worked, and he just spoiled the kids rotten,” said Kristy.

His close friend, Maria Wilson, said his generosity and thoughtfulness extended beyond his family. “He looked out for anyone and everyone. It was a ‘here you don’t have a shirt, take mine,’ kind of mentality,” said Wilson.

Arthur loved arcade games and he could often be goofy with his loved ones.

“He had the dorkiest laugh that got everyone laughing,” said Wilson. “Like even if you didn’t want to laugh you would laugh when he did.”

Arthur was playing pool at Schemengee’s Bar & Grille on Wednesday night. He died on the scene.

– Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald) 

Gov. Mills visits Central Maine Medical Center 

4:51 p.m. Gov. Janet Mills visited Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston on Friday to thank medical providers who responded and treated victims of Wednesday’s shootings.

The hospital received more than a dozen gunshot victims from Just-in-Time Recreation Center and Schemengees Bar & Grille, many of whom remained at the hospital Friday.

“What Maine people have seen this week from our medical professionals is nothing short of heroic. I am amazed, but not surprised, by the extraordinary compassion of those who are working to help the victims of the Lewiston tragedy recover,” Mills said. “On behalf of the 1.3 million people of Maine, I thank the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals at Central Maine Medical Center who—with help from across the state— have worked tirelessly this week to save lives, with little sleep and immense stress as they worried about their own families and friends.”

Mills toured the hospital’s emergency department and intensive care unit and spoke to a survivor and with the family of a recovering patient.

“We toured many areas together where patients from this week’s tragedy continue to be treated, but in our ICU the Governor’s concern was truly impactful,” hospital president Dr. Steven Littleson said. “She deeply connected with our ICU nursing team, who have been caring for patients since this event unfolded. The State of Maine is fortunate to have such a compassionate leader.”

– Eric Russell (Press Herald)

Bowdoin quiet Friday afternoon as search focuses on river 

4:03 p.m. At the home where Robert Card reportedly lived in Bowdoin, a personal water craft could be seen Friday afternoon tucked under the roof of a garage with blue siding.

Next to the structure was a boarded-up, white mobile home with an empty cargo trailer near it.

Police, who had swarmed the property Thursday evening while reporters looked on from a short distance away, were not on Meadow or West Roads, where Card and his family members owned land, Friday afternoon.

The town was quiet, with few cars roving while a shelter-in-place order remained in effect. Several flags could be seen lowered to half-mast.

Bowdoin is about eight miles from Lisbon, where a search of the Androscoggin River continues.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Lewiston schools remain closed Monday, Augusta schools plan to reopen

3:50 p.m. Lewiston School Superintendent Jake Langlais said Friday that city schools will not be open on Monday.

He said that administrators heard “a lot of feedback from staff” telling them that “time will absolutely be needed by our most caring of individuals to be ready to provide care for our students when they return.”

Langlais said the school district will continue to provide information through the weekend. He said that he hopes police find the suspected shooter “and we can start down the road to healing.”

Augusta schools plan to reopen as usual on Monday. The Augusta School Department sent out an email to the parents on Friday saying, “Although the information may change over the weekend, as the situation is still fluid, we plan to come back to school with an increased police presence, remain indoors with all students and activities, and increase our counseling services. We hope you all can have a restful weekend.”

– Steve Collins (Sun Journal) and Amber Carter (Press Herald)

Father, young son killed in bowling alley shooting

3:48 p.m. Bill Young was the type of dad who would “do anything” for his son, Aaron. So when Aaron decided to take up bowling as a hobby, Bill was all in.

“Aaron wanted to bowl, and Bill said, ‘Get in the car,’ He was a damn good dad,” Rob Young, Bill’s brother, said.

Three years later, Aaron had his highest score yet. Bill was so proud.

“(Bill) texted me a photo a couple weeks ago, on Oct. 6, of Aaron getting a 275 while bowling – his highest score ever,” Rob Young said. “I bowl a 120 or something and a 14-year-old bowled a 275. That’s what he liked to do, and he excelled. It made him happy.”

Bill Young, 43, and Aaron Young, 14, were killed in the Lewison mass shooting on Wednesday night at Just-in-Time Recreation where Aaron participated in a youth bowling league.

Rob Young hopped on the first flight out of Maryland, where he lives, and flew to Maine with the small amount of information he knew. He did not anticipate finding out anything good.

“I know my brother well-enough that he’s going toward the target,” Young said.

Because that’s the type of person Bill was – he was always going to protect his son – even though at the time of his death, Aaron was inches taller than Bill at 6 feet 4 inches tall.

Aaron, 14, was a student at Winthrop High School and will be remembered for being “nicest kid in the world,” his uncle said.

When Aaron did not spend his time bowling, he liked to ride bikes with his friends and fish. “My brother Bill was his hero,” said Young.

– Emily Duggan (Kennebec Journal) 

State refuses to release 911 transcripts of Lewiston mass shooting

3:26 p.m. The Department of Public Safety is refusing to release transcripts and audio recordings of 911 calls related to the Lewiston mass shootings that killed 18 people on Wednesday.

Audio recordings of 911 calls are confidential under state law, and to knowingly disclose them is a misdemeanor crime, said Paul Cavanaugh, staff attorney for the Maine State Police and Department of Public Safety in response to a Freedom of Access Act request filed by the Kennebec Journal.

“Properly redacted transcripts of 911 calls are sometime (sic) appropriate for release,” Cavanaugh wrote in the denial Friday afternoon.

He declined to release the records Friday “given the current state of the investigation,” and cited protections under Maine’s Intelligence and Investigative Record Information Act.

“As the status of the investigation changes, that conclusion is likely to change or at least be reviewed with different information,” he said.

Audio of 911 calls from the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas, were released four months after the fatal shooting and revealed critical information about how long police and dispatchers likely knew people were in danger before they took action. Authorities that responded to that scene were widely criticized for not killing the gunman until more than an hour after the event was reported, and for poor coordination between numerous agencies on scene.

Nearly a year ago, Cavanaugh refused to release any 911 transcripts – even heavily redacted copies showing just timestamps – related to hoax calls about school shooters at nearly a dozen Maine schools last November. The Kennebec Journal had requested the public records in an attempt to understand whether Maine law enforcement was prepared to handle a mass shooting event at multiple locations, 11 months before the deadliest attack in state history.

The newspaper’s attorney at the time called the agency’s denial “an extremely aggressive pro-secrecy position, which is very likely unlawful,” and said it set a dangerous precedent in Maine.

The state’s supreme court ruled unanimously in 2013 that agencies cannot withhold 911 transcripts, regardless of the status of an investigation, without describing the specific harm the release of information would cause.

Cavanaugh did not provide such a description in his initial response to this week’s records request and did not immediately respond to an email asking for his reasoning.

– Meg Robbins (Kennebec Journal)

Windham High honors Lewiston victims

3:19 p.m. Windham police posted a photograph on social media Friday of the football field at Windham High School with a new design at the 50-yard line to honor Lewiston.

– Steve Collins (Sun Journal) 

Mt. Ararat asks students to wear blue Monday

3:08 p.m. Mt. Ararat High School Principal Chris Hoffman is encouraging students to wear blue to school on Monday in support of Lewiston.

“This tragedy happened in Lewiston; their school colors are blue and white. Blue is one of our school colors, too. So, (to) show solidarity with where this tragedy occurred, I encourage you to wear blue to school on Monday,” Hoffman wrote in an email to parents and students Friday.

Mt. Ararat canceled classes on Thursday and Friday.

– Bill Stewart (Central Maine) 

Search continues along Lisbon Street 

2:35 p.m. Law enforcement and media are lining a stretch of Lisbon Street on Friday as a search is underway in the water where the Sabattus River flows into the Androscoggin River. Through traffic is being occasionally slowed as police and media come and go.

Not far from the search area, a man who declined to be identified said very little traffic traveled on the road and Wednesday night and Thursday as lockdowns were in effect there.

The road, which is also state Route 196, connects Lewiston to Interstates 95 and 295 and the coast of Maine. It is among the most-heavily traveled in the state. But by about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, he said, normal traffic had resumed and that continued into Friday.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Steve Vozzella identified by friends as victim of Schemengee’s shooting

2:05 p.m. Steve Vozzella, 45, was among those killed while playing in a cornhole tournament at Schemengee’s Bar & Grille Wednesday, friends and family confirmed on social media.

Vozzella, who was deaf, was an active member of New England Deaf Cornhole and was remembered for his excitement and huge smile.

Friends and a former coach said on Facebook that Vozzella was a “class act” and a former student athlete who enjoyed baseball and basketball. His brother-in-law said in a post that Vozzella worked for the U.S. Postal Service.

A father of two, he was preparing to celebrate his one year anniversary with his wife next month.

– Hannah LaClaire (Press Herald)

Bowling alley shooting survivor thanks community for support

1:55 p.m. Tom Giberti, who was among the injured during the shooting Wednesday at Just-In-Time Recreation, posted on social media Friday thanking people for an outpouring of support that has been “too much to comprehend.”

A family member of Giberti said Thursday that Giberti had had successful surgery after he had been shot four times in the left leg and once in the right leg while attempting to help several youth bowlers make it to safety out the back of the alley.

Giberti said he still has no idea how long he’ll be in the hospital.

“Thank you everyone for your love and prayers. I’ve never been one for the spotlight and not sure how to handle it. Love you all,” he said.

Giberti is listed as a manager at Just-In-Time, and has also served as a board member at The Store Next Door, a Lewiston organization that assists homeless youth.

– Andrew Rice (Sun Journal)

Medical examiner: all 18 victims have been identified

1:28 p.m. A spokesperson for Maine Chief Medical Examiner, the state body responsible for investigating sudden, unexpected and violent deaths, said it has identified all of the 18 people killed in the Lewiston shootings as of Thursday afternoon.

They have not yet released the names, but said they have asked state police to issue a correction.

Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck told the public Friday morning that only eight of the victims had been identified.

“We have identified and notified the families of eight of the 18 fatalities that were involved in the incident,” Sauschuck said.

Sauschuck refused to answer further questions about the victims, saying that would be addressed at a “specific session” at another time. He did not say when that session would be.

– Lana Cohen (Press Herald) 

Friends identify Ron Morin as shooting victim

1:25 p.m. Friends of Ron Morin have identified him as one of the victims in interviews and social media posts.

Chad Hopkins, owner of the Apple Valley Golf Course in Lewiston, said Morin had been a good friend for three decades. He called Morin a “jack of all trades” who was always smiling.

Morin played hockey and softball and was a great father, Hopkins said. On Facebook, tributes to Morin poured in remembering him as a sweet, funny man who enjoyed cornhole, baseball and street hockey and loved to tell jokes.

“Those that knew him said he had a radiating light and was one of the funniest people they knew,” read one post.

– Rachel Ohm (Press Herald) and Steve Collins (Sun Journal)

‘I Heart Biddeford’ 5K organizers shift event to support Lewiston

1:19 p.m. The “I Heart Biddeford” 5K scheduled for Saturday morning has been canceled, but organizers are turning it into a way to support Lewiston, the Heart of Biddeford announced Friday.

“Given that we are all filled with concern for the people of Lewiston, and after considering safety issues related to Wednesday night’s tragic mass shooting, we have decided to cancel Saturday’s race,” Delilah Poupore, the organization’s executive director, said in an email update.

If shooting suspect Robert Card has been captured and police say it is safe, the Heart of Biddeford will instead hold a “Love Lewiston” walk at 8 a.m. Saturday starting at Biddeford Primary School.

The walk is intended to show support for Lewiston and give people a chance to connect as a community. All proceeds already collected from the 5K race will be donated to the Lewiston Auburn Area Response Fund started by the Maine Community Foundation for Lewiston families affected by the shootings.

At least $5,800 will be donated, according to Poupore.

– Gillian Graham (Portland Press Herald)

State police refuse to answer questions about gun found in suspect’s car

1:16 p.m. A gun was found in the white Subaru that Card abandoned, officials told The Associated Press, on the condition of anonymity.

Federal agents were testing the gun to determine if it was used in the shooting and conducting a trace to determine when and where the gun was obtained, the officials said.

Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety, declined to answer questions Friday about the weapons Card may have used in the incident, including whether authorities had recovered any weapons, had information on what weapons he used in the shootings or where, when and how he may have obtained them.

Moss said, of those questions, “we wouldn’t discuss at this time in an active investigation.”

Michael Sauschuck, Maine’s commissioner of public safety, said at a news conference Friday morning that a dive team would be at a boat launch on the Androscoggin River in Lisbon, where Card’s white Subaru was found after the shooting.

He said there was evidence located at the vehicle on the shores of the river, but did not specify what kind of evidence or whether it included any guns.

– Keith Edwards (Kennebec Journal)

Suicide note found in suspect’s home, sources say

12:45 p.m. Investigators found a note at a home associated with Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card on Thursday that was addressed to his son, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

The officials described it as a suicide note but said it didn’t provide any specific motive for the shooting. Card’s cellphone had also been recovered in the home, making a search more complicated because authorities routinely use phones to track suspects, the official said.

A gun was found in the white Subaru that Card abandoned, the officials said. Federal agents were testing the gun to determine if it was used in the shooting and conducting a trace to determine when and where the gun was obtained, the officials said.

Federal agents conducted several searches of properties associated with Card on Thursday, collecting a number of items, including electronics.

Investigators are also analyzing Card’s financial information and reviewing his social media posts, writings and his mental health history, the officials said. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

– The Associated Press

High school playoff games, meets postponed

12: 30 p.m.: The Maine Principals’ Association announced changes to the state playoff schedule Friday afternoon.

Field hockey regional championships have been rescheduled to Thursday, Nov. 2. South regional finals will be at Fryeburg Academy, with North regional finals at Messalonskee High in Oakland. State championships are still scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4.

The Class A, D and eight-person soccer regional semifinals are rescheduled for Thursday, Nov. 2. Class B and C regional semifinals are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 3. Regional championships in Class A, D, and eight-person soccer are scheduled for Nov. 7, with Class B and C regional finals on Nov. 8. The state championships are scheduled for Nov. 11.

Football playoff games scheduled for this weekend should be rescheduled for Monday or Tuesday of next week. The next round of playoffs will be scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11, with 11-man state championships still scheduled for Nov. 18.

On Thursday, the MPA announced changes to the state championship cross country and volleyball schedules. The cross country state championships will be run on Nov. 4 at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. The Class A volleyball championship will be played Tuesday at the University of Southern Maine, while Class B will be played Tuesday at Cony High in Augusta. Class C is scheduled for Monday at Ellsworth High.

“We’ve never been in this situation. We’ve not had one school say to us we should be playing this weekend,” said Mike Burnham of the MPA.

– Travis Lazarczyk (Press Herald) 

Bates president issues message to campus

12:42 p.m. Friday was supposed to be a big day for Bates President Garry Jenkins, who’s been at the helm since July but was to be formally installed as the college’s ninth president in a postponed celebration.

“Instead, as the shelter-in-place order following the Wednesday shootings in Lewiston continues, we’re saddened, disappointed, uncertain, and angry,” Jenkins said in a note to the Bates community Friday. “And it’s especially hard to reconcile that difficult reality with the beautiful October day unfolding around us.”

“I am hugely appreciative of the grace and patience that you all have displayed in the face of this tragedy and the ongoing search for the suspect,” he said, before praising staff and students for adhering to state lockdown orders.

Jenkins said he has spoken directly with Gov. Janet Mills and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas – conversations that he said “have helped us make the best and most informed decisions about our community’s safety, particularly with regard to the limited movements of students and staff”

“In general, though, we know about the same as you know from watching or reading the news,” Jenkins told students and staff.

– Steve Collins (Sun Journal) 

40 people helping search Androscoggin River

12:40 p.m. About 40 police and members of the warden service are sweeping the shoreline near the Lisbon boat launch where police discovered an abandoned car belonging to shooting suspect Robert Card Wednesday night, according to Mark Latti, the  communications director for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Two boats equipped with sonar technology are searching the Andrsocoggin River, while a helicopter crew is using thermal imaging to scan the water below.

Maine Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said at a news conference Friday morning that police do not know if Card is alive or if he is in the water. Officials have refused to answer questions about whether they believe the suspect may have fled the area in a boat or a 2019 Sea Doo JetSki registered in his name.

– John Terhune (Portland Press Herald)

Lucy Violette identified as victim

12:07 p.m. Lucy Violette has been identified by her family as another victim in Wednesday’s mass shooting. Her husband Bob Violette was identified Thursday as one of the 18 killed. It’s not clear if Lucy Violette is one of the 18 or if she was one of the three people who were listed in critical condition on Thursday.

Lucy Violette, like her husband, loved to bowl and was devoted to their three sons and six grandchildren.

Not long after a first date of homemade spaghetti, Lucy proposed to Bob. She was a woman who held tightly to the things she loved and brought a warm and calm presence wherever she went, according to tributes posted on social media.

On Facebook, a friend wrote that Lucy was “one of the most caring women I’ve ever known.” While Bob would often crack jokes and light up a room with his gregarious energy, Lucy was his foil.

She would laugh and say, “Oh, Bob.” Friends wrote that sometimes Bob would make jokes just to see how Lucy would react.

Lucy, like Bob, lost her life in an effort to protect children at the bowling alley.

– Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald) 

Shah posts tribute to Joshua Seal

12:00 p.m. Nirav Shah, the former Center for Disease Control and Prevention director, posted about the shootings and his friend, Joshua Seal, Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Here’s the thing about Maine,” Shah posted. “It’s a small town with ‘very’ long driveways. As a result, many Mainers will know someone impacted by Wednesday night’s horrific events, either directly or indirectly. One of the victims was my friend and colleague, Josh Seal.”

1/Here’s the thing about #Maine: it’s a small town with *very* long driveways.

As a result, many Mainers will know someone impacted by Wednesday night’s horrific events, either directly or indirectly.

One of the victims was my friend and colleague, Josh Seal. pic.twitter.com/K1xJ4D1Dxo

— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_uscdc) October 27, 2023

Shah described Seal as a fixture at the state’s daily COVID-19 briefings and the “literal voice and face of the COVID response for the Deaf community in Maine and beyond.”

He said Seal helped Maine navigate that tough period. “I marveled at his ability interpret what we were saying at light speed – even my (awful) attempts at humor during dark days,” Shah tweeted. “He never missed a beat. He will be forever issued and always remembered as a part of Maine’s history. Rest in peace, Josh.”

– Penelope Overton (Press Herald)

Firearms stores reporting high demand 

11:58 a.m. At 3 Cousins Firearms in Lewiston people seem to be flooding in to buy guns.

“It’s a mad house,” said Trevor Brooks, who works at the store. The gun shop is just 1.3 miles away from Schemengees Bar & Grille, where eight men were killed Wednesday.

A similar trend is unfolding at J.T Reid’s Guns & Cigars in nearby Auburn, as locals walk in to stock up on weapons in the light of the tragic events and an ongoing manhunt for Robert Card, the suspect who is still at large more than 40 hours after the fatal shootings.

– Aryan Rai (Kennebec Journal)

Rough terrain likely complicating search

11:20 a.m. The search for Robert Card has been complicated by landscape and geography of central Maine, which in places is heavily forested and hilly. Amy Lawson, a registered Maine guide with Gravel Road Guide Service, said it can very difficult to find someone in the Maine woods.

“Last summer, we had an adult hide-and seek game in the woods where we had 10 people. In one hour, we found one person,” Lawson said.

Around Lewiston and Bowdoin, where Card grew up and his family still lives, the landscape is varied, with residential areas as well as farms and fields and stretches of heavily wooded areas, where many trees have not yet dropped their leaves. Those wooded areas are crisscrossed with snowmobile trails and logging trails and woods that no one has traversed in years.

Lawson pointed to the case of Geraldine Largay, a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trial, who strayed from the trail and was reported missing in July 2013. Her body was found two years later.

The region is also marked with lakes and ponds, as well as rivers, which are the focus of Friday’s search by law enforcement officials; Card’s vehicle was found at a boat ramp on the Androscoggin River in Lisbon.

Maine’s deer hunting season starts Saturday.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Joshua Seal, well-known in Deaf community, among those killed at Schemengees 

11:19 a.m. Joshua Seal, the director of interpreting services at a nonprofit devoted to helping Mainers with disabilities, was shot and killed while participating in a cornhole tournament with deaf friends at Schemengees Bar and Grille in Lewiston Wednesday.

His boss, Pine Tree Society president Noel Sullivan, said Seal’s death left an enormous hole in Maine’s Deaf community. He created the Pine Tree Society’s Dirigo Experience, a life-changing summer camp experience for Deaf youth, Sullivan said.

“He made communication and understanding possible in countless situations as an interpreter, mentor and tireless advocate,” Sullivan said Thursday. “He was committed to breaking the cycle of isolation and creating safe space for Deaf people.”

Seal was well known across Maine for his interpreting work during the daily pandemic briefings of former Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Nirav Shah, Sullivan said. He was one of two interpreters on screen with Shah. He had also worked for Gov. Janet Mills.

Seal gave interviews about his CDC briefing work. He relied on a hearing teammate to listen to Shah and then relay that to him in sign language. Joshua signed that information to viewers as a native speaker, making it easier for others like him in the Deaf community to understand.

Seal’s wife, Elizabeth, who works for a nonprofit that supports deaf families, told the Portland Press Herald in May that she and Seal had attended preschool at Governor Baxter School for the Deaf on Falmouth’s Mackworth Island before going to separate public schools. She talked about their family for a story about a deaf students’ basketball league that was run out of the old boarding school that now operates as the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

The couple were raising their four children in Lisbon Falls. Elizabeth posted a loving online tribute to her husband, but couldn’t be reached for comment. Sullivan said it was times like these, when Maine was experiencing a scale of violence without precedent, that the state’s small but tight-knit Deaf community needed somebody like Seal the most.

“The ripple effects of his loss are truly unfathomable,” Sullivan said.

– Penelope Overton (Press Herald)

‘Every minute that goes on we’re more and more concerned’ 

10:43 a.m. In answering a question about whether he is concerned the trail is growing cold, Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said Friday: “Every minute that goes on we’re more and more concerned because what’s the next thing that’s going to happen. We understand that. That’s why we’re working 24/7 to bring this individual to justice and to try to bring some closure and overall safety to our communities.

“This is a privilege, this is an honor we have to do something about these tragedies when they occur… we’re in a position to do something to help and we will. There’s no question in my mind that we will bring this individual into custody one way or another.”

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald) 

Only 8 of 18 victims identified, police say

10:40 a.m. Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck again said Friday morning that only eight of the 18 victims have been identified and their families notified. He refused to answer further questions about the victims, saying that would be addressed at a “specific session” at another time.

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald) 

Note found at home connected to suspect

10:30 a.m. Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck confirmed a note was found at one of the homes connected to Robert Card, but would not elaborate on what was in that note.

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald) 

State police plan to send divers into Androscoggin River 

10:15 a.m. Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said police are putting a dive team into the Androscoggin River near where Card’s vehicle was found at a boat launch at 501 Lisbon Street.

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald) 

Maine deaf community mourning 4 killed, others injured in shootings

9:43 a.m. The close-knit community at the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf/Governor Baxter School is grieving the loss of four friends who were killed while playing in a cornhole tournament at Schemengees Bar & Grille.

A family member said other deaf players were injured at the event.

“We lost four of our cherished community members in last night’s Lewiston shootings. Including two fathers of children in our programs,” Karen Hopkins, the center’s executive director, posted on Facebook. “Some of our staff were very close to these members of our community.”

The Governor Baxter School for the Deaf opened on Falmouth’s Mackworth Island in 1957 and operated as a boarding school until 2009. Today, the boarding school no longer exists, but the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf is headquartered on the historic campus, operates a preschool for deaf and hard-of-hearing children there and serves deaf and hard-of-hearing students statewide.

The staff have fanned out across Maine to support more than 700 students who communicate in both ASL and English, and there are dedicated programs in Portland and Brewer public schools.

The center is closed today but arranged a Zoom session for families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children to answer questions about talking to their children about this tragedy in their community. Hopkins wrote that the community would gather in person when it is safe to do so.

“Togetherness is what makes us strong,” she wrote. “The lives of all those lost in the shooting will never be forgotten. We are holding their families, loved ones and each other close to our hearts.”

– Megan Gray (Portland Press Herald)

Canadian border on alert for Robert Card

8:10 a.m. The Canada Border Services Agency issued an “armed and dangerous” alert to officers along the U.S.-Canada border warning them to be on the lookout for Lewiston shootings suspect Robert Card.

The police bulletin was sent Thursday to all of its officers through an internal system, the Canadian Press reported. The agency said all entry points along the border remained open.

The agency said it is working with Canadian and U.S. law enforcement partners including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to “protect Canada’s borders against any threat or attempt at illegal entry,” according to the Canadian Press.

New Brunswick RCMP said in a social media statement that it is aware of the situation in Maine and continues to monitor it in collaboration with law enforcement partners. Maine shares 18 official entry points with New Brunswick and six with Quebec, according to the agency.

– Gillian Graham (Portland Press Herald)

Shelter-in-place orders still in effect; no sign of suspect

7:00 a.m. Shelter-in-place orders remain in effect in Androscoggin and northern Sagadahoc counties Friday morning as the search for the man suspected of killing 18 people in Lewiston enters a third day.

Authorities have not released any new information about the manhunt for 40-year-old Robert Card since late Thursday night, when they confirmed police were executing search warrants at a home in Bowdoin believed to be owned by Card’s brother.

Card, a U.S. Army reservist from Bowdoin who officials say spent two weeks in a mental health facility this summer after exhibiting dangerous and threatening behavior, is suspected of fatally shooting 18 people and wounding 13 others Wednesday evening at Just-in-Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston. It is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States this year and the worst in Maine’s history.

More than 350 state and federal law enforcement officials were involved with the search for Card on Thursday. Police have shared little information about the manhunt.

– Gillian Graham (Portland Press Herald)

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Judge impounds arrest warrant for Robert Card

9:39 p.m. Thursday State Assistant Attorney General Leane Zainea has filed a motion to impound the warrant affidavit for Robert Card’s arrest in Androscoggin Superior Court, which was granted by a judge.

Zainea wrote, in the motion, “An arrest has not yet been made and disclosure of information in the affidavit may impede on the law enforcement’s ability to conduct their investigation. A number of witnesses still need to be interviewed.”

The motion said the arrest affidavit for Card contains information the state seeks to keep from public disclosure at this time.

– Keith Edwards (Kennebec Journal)

Suspect not located, police leave scene of home in Bowdoin

9:12 p.m. About half a dozen vehicles have left the Meadow Road home in Bowdoin that police swarmed earlier this evening. The shooter is still at large.

Officers had been executing several search warrants in the area near where Robert Card and his family lived.

Just after 9 p.m., the property was was shrouded in darkness.

State police have not provided an update.

A New Hampshire state police SWAT team and K9 unit and a Massachusetts state police cruiser were among those that recently departed.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Zoom bomber disrupts statewide prayer vigil

9:12 p.m. A Zoom bomber who displayed obscene images disrupted a statewide prayer vigil Thursday night for the victims of the mass shooting in Lewiston.

The virtual prayer vigil, which was hosted by the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, was interrupted after images of several naked men performing lewd acts began appearing on the screen seen by members of the clergy and public.

Organizers were able to remove the intruders from the Zoom channel and the vigil resumed about 20 minutes after it was scheduled to begin. When the vigil first had started, 480 people had registered to watch, but by the time the images were eliminated only 256 people remained online, Bishop Thomas Brown said.

– Dennis Hoey (Press Herald)

Winthrop High freshman, father among those killed

8:17 p.m. A Winthrop High School freshman and his father were among those killed Wednesday in Lewiston, the district’s superintendent said.

An uncle of another high schooler in Winthrop was also killed, Superintendent Jim Hodgkin said.

“There is a strong connection to our Winthrop community, but apparently no direct threat to our schools,” he wrote in a Facebook post Thursday night.

The district’s three schools will be closed Friday and there will be a two-hour delayed opening Monday to allow crisis teams to meet with staff and prepare for students to arrive.

Winthrop, a town of about 2,600 people, is roughly 20 miles northeast of where the shootings occurred.

“This is tremendous tragedy for our area, our town, our students, and everyone,” Hodgkin wrote. “This is uncharted territory. My heart is broken by this and I implore you all to be patient with everyone through this process. This is going to be a process that will take a long time.”

–Meg Robbins (Kennebec Journal)

Law enforcement executing search warrants at Bowdoin home

8:05 p.m. Multiple law enforcement agencies are staged outside a home on Meadow Road in Bowdoin, believed to belong to the suspect’s brother.

A spokesperson for state police said officers are executing several search warrants in the area, but they do not know if Robert Card is in any of the homes they plan to search.

“Law enforcement officials are simply doing their due diligence by tracking down every lead in an effort to locate and apprehend Card,” Shannon Moss said in a statement.

– Julia Arenstam (Press Herald)

Bath Iron Works ‘heartbroken’ over death of pipefitter, Peyton Brewer-Ross

7:43 p.m. Bath Iron Works said the shipyard is “heartbroken” over the loss of 40-year-old union pipefitter Peyton Brewer-Ross, who was killed while playing at a cornhole tournament at Schemengees Bar and Grille in Lewiston. He was the father of a 2-year-old girl and graduated from BIW’s apprenticeship program in 2022.

“We send our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of our employee Peyton Brewer-Ross,” the shipyard said in a message posted on social media. “Peyton was a valuable part of our team, a member of the pipe shop test crew and recently assisted in the launch of Hull 523, Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124). … He was hired just five years ago and was making a positive impact on our company. He will be sorely missed.”

The shipyard remained open Thursday night, though it advised workers affected by lockdown/shelter-in-place orders not to report to work. It said it has counseling services available for all employees.

Friends and co-workers described Peyton as a likable, funny and all-around good guy.

Wayne Benwell Jr., a close childhood friend, said Peyton could be a “ball buster,” but that he was also sincere.

“He’s into baseball and history. He also likes whimsical things like Superman, nerdy card games and dressing up like Macho Man to make you and himself laugh,” he said. “If this happened to anyone of us, he’d be beside himself with grief. He was sensitive like that.”

Sandra Scribner Merlim said Peyton was one of the “three amigos” with her son, Benwell and their friend Dominic Cofone, growing up in Westbrook. He was funny, respectful, laid back and “salt of the earth,” she said.

He recently helped Benwell move – he was the kind of guy who was always ready to lend a hand.

It took him a long time to find the right girl and have a child, she said, but his 2-year-old daughter was the light of his life.

He was devastated that his mother never got to meet her, Benwell said.

According to the pipefitters union, Brewer-Ross had recently completed a Bath Iron Works apprenticeship program and was ready to start the next phase of his life.

Kevin Mann of KaveMann Toys and Collectibles recalled selling Peyton a superman figure at an event in 2021 and seeing his elaborate Man of Steel tattoo.

“That moment right there was a Clark Kent to Superman moment as Peyton Brewer-Ross showed a powerful visage and joy and contentment and we shared a priceless moment of kinship over toys,” he said.

– Jason Claffey (Times Record) and Hannah LaClaire (Press Herald)

Bruins, Ducks auctioning off sticks to benefit victims’ families

6:59 p.m. The Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks will auction off player-signed sticks from both teams to benefit the Lewiston shooting victims’ families.

They will be available Thursday night at BostonBruins.com/LewistonStrong.

The Bruins posted on their Facebook in support of Lewiston saying: “In response to the tragic events in Lewiston, the Boston Bruins Foundation has created a fund to benefit the families of those affected and pledged a minimum of $100,000 in support.”

– Amber Carter (Press Herald)

Golden reverses stance, says he will support assault weapons ban

6:42 p.m. At tonight’s press conference at Lewiston City Hall, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Lewiston, announced that the shooting Wednesday has changed his mind about assault weapon bans, and he will now support such a ban and has called on Congress to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He has come under fire in recent years for consistently voting against firearms bills in the House, so this announcement is seen as a full reversal of his long-held position.

“I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war, like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime,” Golden said. “The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the U.S. Congress to ban assault rifles, like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of Lewiston, Maine.”

– Judith Meyer (Sun Journal)

Card not enrolled in VA health care

6:40 p.m. Robert Card is not enrolled in or using VA health care, according to a spokesperson for the VA. He used VA education benefits in 2004, but he has not used or applied for any VA benefits since then.

– John Terhune (Press Herald)

Neighbor says Bowdoin home has been vacant

5:43 p.m. The Bowdoin home where shots were fired around 5 p.m. has been vacant for some time, according to a neighbor who declined to provide his name.

Ryan and Katie Card, the brother and sister-in-law of the suspected shooter, used to live there but have not been staying there for a while, he said.

He added that the Cards are a hardworking family, and said that as a parent, he is heartbroken for the Robert Card Sr., the suspect’s father.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Multiple shots heard in Bowdoin

5:08 p.m. Multiple gunshots could be heard for several minutes outside a home at 911 Meadow Road in Bowdoin.

Law enforcement officers were standing, with long guns drawn, on the bed of a truck in a large field next to the home. At least four loud booms were heard.

The property is owned by Ryan and Katie Card, according to town records. They are believed to be the brother and sister-in-law of Robert Card. No cars were in the driveway.

Meadow Road is blocked off on both sides of the farm house.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Card not trained in firearms instruction, Army says

5:05 p.m. In an updated statement, a U.S. Army spokesperson said Robert Card was not trained as a firearms instructor, as police had originally reported. Card’s unit did train at West Point this summer, as reported by the AP, but no records indicate that Card participated in that training.

– John Terhune (Press Herald)

Auburn councilor says son was among victims

4:47 p.m. Auburn City Councilor Leroy Walker Sr. told NBC Boston that his son Joe Walker, who managed Schemengees Bar and Grill, was among those killed.

Walker did not immediately respond to a phone message Thursday afternoon.

“He’s just a great overall young man,” Walker said in an interview Thursday morning. “People love him. He loves people. If he was sitting here with me he would just be so sorry about what has happened. A lot of his friends were killed in the same scene. Others were shot up. … It’s just a real tough thing. I know he would be just so sorry something like this happened.”

– Rachel Ohm (Press Herald)

Sandy Hook Promise says there were warning signs 

4:38 p.m. Sandy Hook Promise weighed in on the shootings in Lewiston, saying that Card had demonstrated warning signs that he was experiencing a mental health problem, according to a statement sent to the news media.

“We are deeply heartbroken for Lewiston, understanding all too well the profound and devastating impact that shootings like these have on a community,” Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all those who have had to bear witness to and endure the consequences of this tragic and unforgivable event. It is heart-wrenching to think of families currently sheltering in place, struggling to come to terms with this news, and facing the difficult task of explaining to their children why their normal day at school cannot resume.”

Mark Barden, father of Sandy Hook victim Daniel and co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, criticized Maine’s current firearms laws.

“Once again, a shooter chose semiautomatic rifles, the preferred weapon of mass shooters, to take the lives of innocent family members, friends, and loved ones merely going about their day,” Barden said. “Maine lacks several crucial gun safety laws, including regulations on large capacity, semiautomatic weapons, expanded background checks, and strong temporary transfer laws that enable law enforcement to temporarily disarm individuals deemed dangerous. The events in Lewiston emphasize the necessity of closing these gaps through the implementation and strengthening of public policies aimed at preventing gun violence.”

According to the organization’s statement, 565 mass shootings have been recorded by the Gun Violence Archive in 2023, each involving four or more casualties, excluding the perpetrator.

“These statistics paint a bleak picture, making 2023 one of the deadliest years in the sorrowful history of gun violence,” the statement said.

Sandy Hook Promise created a “Know the Signs” prevention program aimed at helping people identify the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help, the group says.

“Early reports indicate the suspect demonstrated some of the warnings signs that can signal an individual may be in crisis or need help, and if appropriate actions are taken, can prevent gun violence and related deaths,” the statement said.

– Marla Hoffman, Sun Journal

Search extends to Kennebec River

4:35 p.m. The search for Robert Card has apparently continued into the Kennebec River, according to a Gardiner fire official who reported a U.S. Coast Guard boat traveling northbound near Merrymeeting Bay.

The tidal river is one of the longest waterways in Maine, at 170 miles.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Sen. King: ‘I’m interested in what will work.’

4:00 p.m. U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that he spoke with President Biden as events unfolded Wednesday evening.

“It was vintage Joe Biden,” King said. “The president took the initiative to call me. You could tell from his voice that it hit him hard.”

King said his own emotions were of shock and grief when hearing about the shootings.

“On Monday, the FBI said Maine is the safest state in America,” King said. “Two days later, we had this horrendous incident.”

King is in favor of banning high-capacity magazines and bump stocks, which can make semi-automatic weapons operate more like automatic weapons. But he’s not in favor of an assault weapons ban because he said he doesn’t believe it would be effective.

Gun manufacturers would find a way to bypass the weapons ban, but a simpler reform, such as mandating that a magazine can only carry 10 bullets and banning bump stocks, would be more effective, he said.

“I always try to be pragmatic,” King said. “I’m interested in what will work.”

– Joe Lawlor (Press Herald)

Court documents reveal little about suspect

3:43 p.m. Sagadahoc County court documents indicate Robert Card has an 18-year-old son with a woman he divorced in 2007. The couple had shared parental responsibilities and rights. The divorce was granted on the grounds of irreconcilable differences.

At the time, Card lived at 941 Meadow Road in Bowdoin, where there was a heavy police presence Thursday.

Paperwork filed as part of an amendment to the divorce judgement in 2010 indicated Card was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army reserves.

A 2013 additional amendment to the divorce judgement ordered that “all weapons in either party’s home shall be under lock and key at all times during which they are not being used.”

– Keith Edwards (Kennebec Journal)

Coast Guard assisting search efforts

3:41 p.m. The U.S. Coast Guard is assisting other federal and state police in searching for the man suspected of killing 18 people in Lewiston.

In a statement, a spokesperson said a Coast Guard response boat crew out of Boothbay Harbor and a fixed wing plane from Cape Cod are assisting with search efforts.

Coast Guard spokesperson Ryan Koroknay refused to answer questions about whether units are searching for a specific watercraft. According to public boat registration records, Card owns a 12-foot Sea Doo Jet Ski. He previously registered a 15-foot Bayliner boat.

– John Terhune (Press Herald) 

Army confirms suspect is petroleum supply specialist

2:50 p.m. A spokesman for the U.S. Army confirmed shooting suspect Robert Card’s military status.

The spokesman, Bryce Dubee, said that Card’s rank in the Army Reserve is Sgt. 1st Class, and that he’s a petroleum supply specialist who enlisted in December 2002 and hasn’t been deployed in combat.

Dubee said Card has received awards for his service, including the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

– Drew Bonifant (Portland Press Herald)

Rep. Pingree says ‘it’s always time’ to try for ban on assault weapons

2:15 p.m. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon that she felt “total grief and disbelief” as she followed news of the Lewiston shootings on Wednesday evening.

“You think, ‘This doesn’t happen in Maine,'” Pingree said. “We are so safe here. You never anticipate it would happen to us. But sadly, it was maybe only a matter of time.”

Pingree said while other mass shootings in recent years have not led to a ban on assault weapons or other significant gun control measures, “it’s always time” to keep trying. She said the political landscape can change. Pingree is in favor of gun control measures such as a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and red flag or yellow flag laws where law enforcement can temporarily remove guns from people who are undergoing a mental health crisis

“I’ve always believed there was no good reason to own a military style assault weapon. That’s not what people take hunting,” Pingree said.

– Joe Lawlor (Press Herald)

VP Harris mourns Lewiston victims

1:33 p.m. Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the Lewiston shootings Thursday at a luncheon with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Harris said she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were grieving for the victims.

“Doug and I mourn for those who were killed and grieve for those who were injured,” she said.

“We must continue to speak truth about the moment we are in today,” she said, noting gun violence is the nation’s leading cause of death.

– White House pool report

Witnesses describe bowling alley shooting where 7 were killed

1:02 p.m. At the bowling alley, one man said he heard about 10 shots. He thought the first was just a balloon popping.

“I had my back turned to the door,” Brandon, who did not want to give his last name, told The Associated Press. “And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon — he was holding a weapon — I just booked it.”

Brandon said he scrambled down the length of the alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing up to hide in the machinery.

“I was putting on my bowling shoes when when it started. I’ve been barefoot for five hours,” he said.

Zoey Levesque, 10, was at the bowling alley with her mother and was grazed by a bullet, she told WMTW-TV.

“It’s scary,” Levesque said. “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?”

Diana Florence said her son, a sophomore at Bates College, stayed in his dorm with his roommate with the blinds closed, according to an Associated Press report.

Her daughter is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was locked down twice last month, once when a professor was killed and again two weeks later when a man brandished a gun in the student union building.

“I could not believe it — that this is happening again. It’s happening to my son after it just happened to my daughter,” she said in a phone interview with the AP.

Florence, of New York, said she and her son at Bates spoke and texted late into the night and that he was shaken up but OK.

She said she was angry.

“I think this is about our laws, frankly. That we cannot seem to pass any sort of sensible gun laws or attack mental health in the way we should,” she said. “And our kids are paying the price. And even if they’re not killed or injured, the trauma that is going to linger long past the semester is palpable.”

– Marla Hoffman (Sun Journal) 

Shooting suspect had been evaluated for ‘erratic behavior’

12:54 p.m. Robert Card, the man accused of killing 18 people in Lewiston Wednesday night, had been evaluated for  erratic behavior in July, according to The Associated Press who spoke to a U.S. official who wished to remain anonymous.

Military commanders in the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment said they observed Card acting erratically while the unit was training at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York. Card was taken to the Keller Army Community Hospital in West Point.

A police bulletin sent to law enforcement said he had been in a mental health facility for two weeks this summer, and that he had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base. No information was provided about Card’s treatment or diagnosis.

– Marla Hoffman (Sun Journal) 

Pediatric group offers help for parents 

12:53 p.m. The Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement Thursday condemning gun violence after Wednesday’s shootings in Lewiston and urging parents to seek help and advice in explaining the tragedy to youngsters.

“Gun violence is a plague and mass shootings are the American variant. Yet, we collectively refuse to approach and fix this distinctly American problem with any of the commonsense tools and policies we have at our fingertips to employ,” the statement read. “And our children are watching. Wondering. Learning about what we value.”

The organization said it has information about how to cope with the trauma of the Lewiston shootings and how to talk to children about it, on its website, maineaap.org.

– Ray Routhier (Press Herald) 

President Biden renews call for assault weapons ban

12:37 p.m. President Joe Biden renewed his call for a ban on assault weapons following multiple shootings in Lewiston that killed 18 people and injured 13 others.

“Today, in the wake of yet another tragedy, I urge Republican lawmakers in Congress to fulfill their duty to protect the American people,” Biden said in a statement. “Work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers. This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars — physical and mental — of this latest attack.”

Information about what type of weapon or ammunition was used and how the suspect, Robert Card, might have purchased either has not been released, although police have said he is an Army reservist and firearms instructor.

Biden also offered condolences to the Lewiston community and acknowledged that the tragedy likely “reopens deep and painful wounds,” for many who have survived gun violence in this country or have been traumatized by it.

– Eric Russell (Press Herald) 

National leaders weigh in on shootings

Political leaders from around the nation took to social media following the shootings in Lewiston to express sympathies for the tragedy, and once again call for action on gun safety.

Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Thursday, “This is a dark time in America. We have a lot of problems. And we’re really, really hopeful and prayerful. Prayer is appropriate in a time like this, that the evil can and this senseless violence can stop.” He did not address reporters’ questions on whether the House would take up any gun legislation in response to the shootings.

In response, Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree told CNN, “I certainly want the speaker to know we appreciate his prayer, his thoughts. I know I’m going to meet a lot of families and others that say ‘You’re in Congress. We need more than thoughts and prayers.’”

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Thursday at a Washington Post Live event that the shooting in Maine is “just awful,” but said it was “premature” to talk at length about it. Schumer, who helped push an assault weapon ban through Congress in the 1990s that was later allowed to expire, added: “It just breaks your heart. This, we see this all the time.”

After the event, Schumer wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to fly at half-staff, and reiterated his call to stop the “epidemic of gun violence in our country.”

I’ve ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to half-staff as we remember those we lost to the senseless mass shooting in Maine, those who were injured, all their families, and the people of Maine. We must do everything we can to stop the epidemic of gun violence in our country.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 26, 2023

Former President Donald Trump wrote in a post on the social network Truth Social Thursday: “A terrible situation going on in Maine. At least 22 dead. It just seems to never end for the USA!”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted on Thursday saying “Republicans in Maine rejected a bill this year that would have required a waiting period for firearm purchases. They seriously could not fathom waiting 72 hours to buy a gun. Maine also does not… – Ban assault weapons – Require permits to carry a gun in public – Require background checks on all gun sales Our hearts are heavy tonight. We need immediate action – we cannot sit around and wait for Congress. We need to amend the Constitution to help prevent tragedies like this. ”

Republicans in Maine rejected a bill this year that would have required a waiting period for firearm purchases.

They seriously could not fathom waiting 72 hours to buy a gun.

Maine also does not…
– Ban assault weapons
– Require permits to carry a gun in public
– Require… https://t.co/18IoTtYRsY

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 26, 2023

– Amber Carter (Press Herald) 

Patriots CEO on shootings

12:33 p.m. Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots, issued a statement on the team’s website: “The senseless act of violence that unfolded last night in Lewiston, Maine has left all of us across New England in shock and mourning. My heart goes out to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims, who are dealing with unimaginable pain and loss. Let us remember the victims, honor their lives, and continue to fight hate and violence in order to prevent these horrific tragedies.”

– Amber Carter (Press Herald) 

Police investigate at Card properties in Bowdoin

11:57 a.m. At the corner of West Road and Wood Schoolhouse Road in Bowdoin, police from several different agencies were on the scene Thursday morning, directing traffic away from the area and sending people back in the direction they came.

Public records indicate one or more of the nearby properties belong to Robert Card or his parents.

Around 11 a.m., police could be heard over a bullhorn ordering people out of a home several times.

Along West Road, where homes sit on large, heavily wooded lots, residents said knew of Card but not well, and they declined to be quoted.

– Jessica Lowell (Kennebec Journal)

Witness describes bowling alley shooting

11:52 a.m. There were about two dozen people from on Chad Vincent’s bowling league playing at Sparetime Wednesday night.

Vincent said he was just starting the fifth frame when he “heard a big pop” around 7 p.m., he said. After the second pop, his bowling partner yelled “he’s got a gun” and they scattered, running out the back entrance toward Marco’s Italian Restaurant.

He called 911 as he ran and the police were there within four minutes, he said.

There were about 10 other lanes of people bowling who weren’t there for the league, including children, Vincent said.

Vincent said one of his teammates was shot and killed while she was working behind the counter. Her sister was there, subbing for her on the team.

Another man who was killed used to play in his league, Vincent said.

– Emily Allen (Press Herald) 

Victim identified: Bob Violette, 76

11:38 a.m. Bob Violette, a 76-year-old retired Sears mechanic and avid bowler was among the victims, according to his daughter-in-law.

Violette was born and raised in Lewiston and grew up speaking French and attending Catholic church. He married Lucy Violette almost 50 years ago and had three sons, Andrew, Tom, and John, and six grandchildren.

He bowled most weekday mornings and participated in a couple’s bowling league with his wife. Lucy and Bob started bowling in retirement because it was something they could do together. But the game became a passion for Bob who enjoyed the competition and camaraderie he found at the alley. Many years ago, Bob started running a youth bowling league at Sparetime recreation, for which he was recently inducted into the Maine Bowling Hall of Fame.

A lifelong Lewiston resident, Bob had deep ties to the community and was the type of person who made everyone feel comfortable and cared for, his daughter-in-law, Cassandra, said.

“He wouldn’t let you walk out the door without giving him a hug, and a kiss on the check. He was just there for everything,” she said.

He loved kids and had a special bond with his grandkids. His eldest grandsons regularly participated in youth bowling nights with him on Wednesdays, and he and his oldest grandson shared a love of Chinese food.

Bob was a doting husband who set timers on his phone to make sure his wife never missed her medication.

“His first thought every day was her,” said Cassandra.

Bob saved up to buy new iPads and iPhones so he could get good videos of the kids in his league bowling and help them improve.

“He loved those kids, all of them,” said Cassandra.

Bob was reportedly killed trying to protect the kids he was responsible for on Wednesday night. His wife, Lucy, was injured but it is unknown what her condition is.

 – Grace Benninghoff (Press Herald) 

Lewiston lawmakers grieving for their city 

11:35 a.m. Democratic lawmakers from Lewiston issued statements of grief and support for victims, and appreciation for first responders, who are actively hunting for the suspect, Robert Card, and caring for those injured.

Assistant House Majority Leader Kristen Cloutier said she “grieves deeply” for the people affected by “this senseless and preventable tragedy.” She called for “bold action” to address gun violence.

“This has only strengthened my own resolve to do whatever I can to help prevent similar tragedies like this from happening again in other communities,” she said. “As a state, we must do more to address gun violence and keep ourselves, our families, our friends and our neighbors safe. Words are not enough – they never have been. We must take bold action. I am also extremely grateful to the Lewiston Police Department and all of the emergency personnel who answered the call to respond to this incident, and are continuing to work today to keep us safe.”

Sen. Peggy Rotundo of Lewiston said she was “heart broken.”

“Our city of Lewiston, the place we call is home, is a wonderful, diverse and vibrant community normally so full of light and life,” she said. “Today, however, we are a community in mourning as we grapple with unimaginable heartache and profound grief — our sense of safety and security shattered by this horrific act of mass violence,” Rotundo said.

“Today, our hearts are broken,” Reps. Mana Abdi, Margaret Craven and Michel Lajoie said in a joint statement. “Along with our entire community, we are devastated and horrified by the unfathomable acts of mass gun violence that took place last night. We are deeply thankful to all of the first responders, law enforcement and hospital staff who responded swiftly, and will continue to keep all of our neighbors, families and friends who have been affected in our hearts. Together, we are committed to ensuring that a tragedy like this will never happen to another community ever again.”

– Randy Billings (Press Herald) 

Sen. King calls Lewiston shooting an ‘aberration’

11:25 a.m. Sen. Angus King told News Center Maine on Wednesday morning that he hopes law enforcement can capture the suspect, Robert Card, so a sense of safety can been restored to the community and people can begin to grieve.

King also mentioned Maine’s strong tradition of gun ownership.

“Maine has one of the highest levels of gun ownership in the country and one of the lowest levels of gun crime in the country – until last night,” King said. “Nothing like this in my recollection has ever happened in Maine. And generally speaking people who use firearms, do so safely and pass that on from generation to generation. This is an aberration. It’s shocking and disappointing. It’s just hard to characterize.”

Maine’s legislative Republicans urged people to “stay safe and vigilant” and listen to the instructions of law enforcement while the manhunt continues.

“We continue to monitor the horrific situation in the greater Lewiston area as the manhunt is underway for the person of interest in the Lewiston mass shooting. We grieve for the families of the 18 who were killed and 13 injured in this senseless tragedy,” Maine House and Senate Republicans said in a statement.

“We thank the Lewiston Police Department, Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police, our emergency first responders, local hospitals and federal authorities for their heroic efforts as the night unfolded and manhunt continues. We urge everyone to stay safe and vigilant by monitoring instructions and advisories from law enforcement, and stand ready to assist any way we can.”

– Randy Billings (Press Herald) 

Police update on search for shooter: 18 dead

11:07 a.m. Maine State Police are holding a press conference at Lewiston City Hall. Gov. Janet Mills said 18 people have been confirmed dead and 13 injured. “This is a dark day for Maine,” she said.

Seven of those victims were killed at Sparetime Recreation, eight people were killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille. Three died overnight at Central Maine Medical Center.

“Lewiston is a special place. It is a close knit community with a long history of hard work, of persistence, of faith, of opening its big heart to people everywhere. Lewiston is where I worked for years, it’s where I met and married my husband, Stan, and it’s where the girls went to school,” Mills said.

“I love this place, just as I love our whole state with my entire heart. I am so deeply saddened. This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security. No city does. No state. No people.”

Auburn city councilor searching for missing son

11:06 a.m. Auburn City Councilor Leroy Walker Sr. was among those worried about a loved one Thursday morning. His son, Joe Walker, manages Schemengees Bar & Grill and Walker said he hasn’t answered his phone since Wednesday night.

“His wife has called and she hasn’t gotten an answer either,” Walker said. “Right now we’re all thinking the worst.”

Walker said Schemengees would have been busy Wednesday night for a corn hole league. “It’s a really friendly, nice place,” Walker said. “It’s a great place for most people. It always was a safe place until this guy went off the deep end and did his damage.”

Walker described his son as a “great overall young man.”

“He would be just so sorry. So much has happened and a lot of his friends were killed in the same scene. Others were shot up… It’s just a real tough thing. I know he would be sorry something like this happened.”

– Rachel Ohm (Press Herald)

Sen. Collins: Federal agencies assisting in search

10:53 a.m. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a phone interview Thursday morning that she spoke with President Joe Biden last night as the tragedy in Lewiston was unfolding, and the president promised to use federal resources to help Maine as much as possible.

“President Biden expressed his deepest sympathy. He told me he wanted to support the people of Maine in every way,” Collins said.

“It is just so hard to believe such a heinous attack could occur in our state,” she said. “Like many Mainers, I did not sleep last night.”

Collins said she has also been in communication with Tom Perez, senior advisor to President Biden, and Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security secretary.

Collins said federal resources such as the FBI, Border Patrol, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, medical examiners and grief counselors are assisting in Maine with the tragedy.

– Joe Lawlor (Press Herald)

Portland issues statement on mass shooting

10:48 a.m. The City of Portland released a statement saying it stands in solidarity with Lewiston and everyone impacted by “the senseless and horrific mass shooting that took place last night.”

Roughly 30 Portland police and fire department members are assisting with the situation and many city employees live in Lewiston or have loved ones who reside there, city officials said.

“Portland’s City Council and I are stunned by this horrific mass shooting, and we stand in solidarity with the Lewiston community and all Mainers as we are left to once again process a senseless tragedy and its horrid impacts,” Mayor Kate Snyder said in a statement. “I am hoping the person responsible will be apprehended as quickly as possible. I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved with the law enforcement and medical response.”

City Manager Danielle West said she is heartbroken by the tragedy and is “grieving for those whose lives were lost and those who had their worlds turned upside down last night.”

“To the Lewiston community, we stand with you and we’re here for you. We have City of Portland employees who live in Lewiston, call Lewiston their hometown, or have loved ones who live there and so I am keenly aware of how this is affecting them,” she said in a statement.

— Gillian Graham (Portland Press Herald)

Maine delegation reacts to shootings

10:24 a.m. Several Maine officials issued statements of sorrow and urged Androscoggin County residents to stay inside while the manhunt was ongoing.

Sen. Angus King tweeted Wednesday night that he was “deeply sad for the city of Lewiston and all those worried about their family, friends and neighbors.”

Rep. Jared Golden also tweeted Wednesday that he was “horrified by the events in Lewiston tonight. This is my hometown…Our hearts break for those who are affected.”

Rep. Chellie Pingree tweeted, “The unfolding violence is shocking and I am holding the affected communities in my prayers.”

Sen. Susan Collins tweeted that she had been in touch with the White House and that President Biden had offered federal assistance.

Biden also reached out to Gov. Mills Wednesday night, as well as other members of Maine’s delegation.

– Katherine Lee (Press Herald) 

Gun safety groups vow community support

10:18 a.m. Everytown For Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action issued statements in response to Wednesday shootings in Lewiston. The gun safety groups vowed to support the community in the coming weeks and months.

“Our hearts are broken for the community and the loved ones of those impacted in this senseless tragedy,” said Kathleen McFadden, a volunteer and co-chapter leader with the Maine chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Bowling night, dinner with friends, supermarket trips, and school drop-offs should be safe places free from gun violence. We won’t sit idly by as this crisis tears our communities apart and will continue to demand action every single day until we are safe from gun violence once and for all.”

“Another American community is grappling with what should be the unthinkable,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “The people of Lewiston and all who love them can count on the full support of the gun safety movement in the difficult days, months, and years to come.”

“Yet again, families and communities are devastated by a senseless act of gun violence. This is not an inevitability,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “If access to guns made us safer, America would be the safest country in the world. Instead, we live in a place where you may get shot and killed by a weapon of war while simply living your life. We refuse to accept this as our reality.”

– Randy Billings (Press Herald) 

‘None of this seems real’

10:11 a.m. Just-in-Time Recreation issued a statement on its Facebook page Thursday: “None of this seems real, but unfortunately it is. We are devastated for our community and our staff. We lost some amazing and whole hearted people from our bowling family and community last night. There are no words to fix this or make it better. We are praying for everyone who has been affected by this horrific tragedy. We love you all and hold you close in our hearts.”

– Nina Mahaleris (Sun Journal)

Shah on Lewiston shootings

10:06 a.m. Nirav Shah, the much beloved leader of Maine CDC during the COVID pandemic, tweeted Wednesday night about the shooting.

Tonight, we are all Mainers.

As #Maine grieves, so does the nation.

— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_uscdc) October 26, 2023

“Tonight, we are all Mainers,” he wrote. “As #Maine grieves, so does the nation.” His tweet was posted not long after midnight and has had 15,000 views. Shah left Maine earlier this year to take a job as principal deputy director at the U.S. CDC.

– Peggy Grodinsky (Press Herald)

‘The fear in all the kids’ faces’

9:47 a.m. Riley Dumont, an Auburn hairdresser, said she went to Spare Time Wednesday evening with her family for her 10-year-old daughter’s bowling league.

They were having dinner, she said, and “next thing I know I heard a really loud crash.”

Her father, a retired police officer, told everyone “to get down.”

Dumont said she and other adults tried to cover children in a dark corner while gunshots were fired in rapid succession. She said she was too far to see the shooter.

She said her father stood in front of them all, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening.

Dumont said all she could think was “Oh, my God. My dad needs to to get out of there.”

She worried the gunman might come closer.

“We were trapped” if he moved in, Dumont said. “There was no exit for us.”

The shooting went on for what “felt like a lifetime,” Dumont said.  When police arrived soon they recognized that it was all over.

On the way out, she said they saw bodies lying on the floor, a sight she worried her daughter will have a hard time with.

“The fear in all the kids’ faces is something I’ll never forget,” Dumont said.

She said it could easily have been worse.

The shooting “has shaken everybody to the core,” Dumont said.

But she has hope, too.

“Our community is close-knit, but I think we’re all going to come together even more,” Dumont said.

Still, she said, it’s hard to believe a mass shooting took place right before her eyes in a place that seemed as safe as anywhere, a bowling alley full of children and families.

“You don’t think anything like that can happen,” Dumont said.

– Steve Collins (Sun Journal)

Gun law advocates issue call for stronger laws 

9:11 a.m. The Maine Gun Safety Coalition called on elected officials to create stronger gun control laws in the state of Maine in the wake of the shooting.

“The Maine Gun Safety Coalition grieves with the families and friends who lost loved ones in the mass shooting last night,” the coalition wrote in a press release. “We watched in horror as the tragedy in Lewiston, Maine happened before our eyes — the result of weak gun laws.”

The coalition called for, at a minimum, an assault weapons ban.

– Lana Cohen (Portland Press Herald)

‘At a loss for words’

8:47 a.m. Schemengees Bar & Grill posted a message to the community on Facebook: “My heart is crushed. I am at a loss for words. In a split second your world gets turn upside down for no good reason. We loss great people in this community. How can we make any sense of this. Sending out prayers to everyone.”

– Steve Collins (Sun Journal)

Stephen King calls for gun reform following shooting

7:20 a.m. — Maine’s most famous author, Stephen King, posted his thoughts on Twitter/X this morning about the Lewiston shootings, which he noted happened “less than 50 miles from where I live.”

The shootings occurred less than 50 miles from where I live. I went to high school in Lisbon. It’s the rapid-fire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 26, 2023

— Scott Monroe (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel)

VIDEO: The scene from Sparetime Recreation on Wednesday night

6:55 a.m. LEWISTON — Sun Journal photojournalist Russ Dillingham has exclusive video from the scene Wednesday night showing people evacuating Sparetime Recreation and local law enforcement responding.

— Scott Monroe (Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel)

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