Search Continues for Suspect in Deadly Shooting in Maine, USA

Mike Sauschak, the Commissioner of Public Safety in Maine, stated at a press conference on Thursday that hundreds of police officers across the state are searching for Robert R. Card, the suspect in the deadly shootings in Maine. News agencies have reported the death toll from the attack on the evening of October 25 as between 16 and 22 people. Reports indicate that 40-year-old Robert R. Card, a trained firearms instructor and member of the U.S. Army Reserve, was hospitalized for two weeks this summer at a mental health facility. Mr. Card has complained of hearing voices and has suffered from other mental health issues. The police, without mentioning the ages of the victims, said that the attacks began shortly before 7 PM local time on Wednesday at a bowling alley and shortly continued at a restaurant about 5 kilometers away. According to police reports, seven men were shot dead there, three of whom died after being transferred to the hospital due to the severity of their injuries. The police have asked residents to stay indoors. Additionally, all public schools in the area canceled classes on Thursday. Police also requested that residents of the town of Bowdoin, about 20 kilometers east of Lewiston, take shelter in their homes. The city of Lewiston, which was once a textile center, has a population of 38,000. Maine, located near the northeastern border with Canada, is primarily a rural state. According to a 2020 study, about half of adults in the area own firearms. Furthermore, in Maine, there is no need for a permit to purchase a firearm, and so-called 'red flag' laws, which allow law enforcement in some states to temporarily disarm individuals deemed dangerous, do not exist in this state.