Hundreds of police look for the perpetrator in the Maine shooting

 Hundreds of police look for the perpetrator in the Maine shooting

A massive search is underway in Maine to find the US Army reserve who is thought to have carried out a mass shooting in which eighteen people were killed and thirteen injured.

Robert Card, who is allegedly armed and dangerous, is being sought after by hundreds of police officers and FBI agents.

People have sought refuge up to 50 miles (80 km) away from the locations of Wednesday's shootings in Lewiston, closing businesses and schools in the process.

Police conducted a raid on a neighboring home in Bowdoin on Thursday night.

Lewiston is just a 20-minute drive away from the town where police executed warrants during part of the search, which was shown live on television.

Police could be heard demanding that Mr. Card turn himself up and emerge from the residence "with your hands up" over a loudspeaker.

A few hours later, the cops left the area.

An official said that police were "simply doing their due diligence by tracking down all possible leads in an effort to track down and capture the Card," however it is unclear what led to the search.

The Gun Violence Archive, which includes mass shootings in which four or more people are killed or injured—excluding the gunman—identifies Wednesday's carnage as the deadliest mass shooting in the US this year.

It's thought that this mass shooting is the deadliest Maine has ever seen. Despite having one of the lowest populations in the US, this state boasts a high rate of gun ownership and comparatively low rates of gun violence. The quantity of casualties is about equal to the state's whole 2022 murder total.

Following the incident, US Congressman Jared Golden, a veteran of the Marine Corps, openly called for an assault weapons prohibition. He is a centrist Democrat who has voted against a Capitol Hill ban in the past.

Mr. Golden, a native of Lewiston, said, "The time has come for me to put things into responsibility for this failure." "Which which explains why I now call on the United States Congress to enact a ban on assault rifles similar the one used by the sick criminal of this mass killing" .

It is now the third day of the search for Mr. Card, which is being conducted by air, sea, and land.

A search continues for the grandfather who loved bowling and was shot dead in Maine, leaving idyllic Lewiston a ghost town.

According to Maine State Police Col. William Ross, the shooting started inside a bowling alley in the little town of Lewiston on Wednesday shortly before 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT). There were six males and one lady slain.

Eight additional males were shot and killed at the Schemengees Bar & Grille, a neighboring restaurant, where shooting was reported within ten minutes.

Initially sent to nearby hospitals, sixteen wounded persons were treated there; three of them eventually passed away.

The culprit is still at large, and Lewiston and three other surrounding communities are still under a shelter-in-place order. The majority of local businesses and schools are closed today, and many more will be closed on Friday.

With the exception of a few dog walkers, it seemed like most folks spent Thursday at home. On the streets are police posts.

The Central Maine Medical Center and the two shooting locations were the only areas with a lot of activity.

The top medical officer there, Dr. John Alexander, described the assault as "unprecedented" for the tiny community. According to him, over fifty physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and surgeons responded to the request to assist in treating the casualties.

According to the Maine State Police, the suspect has lately disclosed mental health problems, including "hearing voices and threats to shoot up a base for the military in southern Maine".

It was stated that he had been sent to a psychiatric hospital in the summer after his bizarre behavior while undergoing training at the US Military Academy.

The suspect's sister-in-law, Katie Card, told NBC News in an interview that family members had contacted the Army and police to report that the man was going through a "acute" mental health crisis.

One of them allegedly involved a "manic belief" that he was being spoken to in a "horrible" way by voices.

"He was just very set in the opinion that everyone was against him all of a sudden," said Ms Card.

He was not a guns instructor, as police refuted previous allegations, claiming there was "no indication he attended advanced weaponry courses".

It was a "dark day" for Maine, according to former Lewiston resident Governor Janet Mills, who also vowed "to seek full justice for the victims and their families".

Local and state police are receiving assistance in the manhunt from the FBI and other federal US law enforcement authorities. Due to the possibility that the suspect may have crossed state boundaries, neighboring states are also contributing resources and maintaining their alertness.

Border guards in Canada have also been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect.

Schemengees Bar & Grille posted on Facebook, saying: "Your life is flipped upside down for no cause in a split second. Great individuals have left our community. How are we supposed to make sense of this?"

The assault started, and Just-In-Time Recreation put the following online: "Unfortunately, this is all fake, even if it doesn't appear genuine. There are no words to explain or improve this situation."

In memory of the deceased, President Joe Biden issued an order lowering the flags at the White House and other government facilities to half-mast.

Additionally, he urged Republican members of Congress to enact gun safety laws.

"This is the very least we owe each American who will now bear the scars – both mentally and physically – of this latest attack," he said.

During a press conference on Thursday, Senator Susan Collins of Maine advocated for the prohibition of large-format periodicals.

"We are grieving deeply," she said to reporters. "This heinous attack, which has snatched the lives of at least 18 Mainers as well as injured so many more is the most terrible mass shooting that the state of Maine has ever witnessed and could ever imagine."