(Updated with press conference)
par Daniel Trotta
Hundreds of police officers are searching for a suspect in the shootings that occurred Wednesday in the American town of Lewiston, in the state of Maine.
According to media reports, the attacks left between 16 and 22 dead and dozens injured. Officials reported numerous casualties without providing figures.
Law enforcement identified a potential suspect, Robert R. Card, 40, after releasing photos showing a man pointing what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle.
“Hundreds of police officers across the state are investigating to determine the whereabouts of Mr. Card, a potential suspect,” Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said at a news conference.
According to several media outlets, Maine law enforcement indicated in a news bulletin that Robert R. Card was a trained weapons instructor and U.S. Army reservist who had recently reported that he had suffered from mental disorders.
“Robert R. Card was also reported to have been committed for two weeks to a psychiatric hospital in the summer of 2023 before being released,” states a newsletter from the Maine Information and Analysis Center.
Reuters was unable to establish the authenticity of this newsletter. The Associated Press reported that it was released by law enforcement officials.
The shootings occurred at a bowling alley and bar-restaurant in Lewiston, which has a population of about 38,000 and is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Portland, Maine’s largest city.
Several media outlets had earlier reported that a third shooting had occurred at a Walmart distribution center, but the company later issued a statement indicating that no shooting had occurred on their premises.
Lewiston Medical Center released a statement saying it was assisting a large number of victims after a mass shooting and was coordinating with area hospitals to receive patients.
The US president has been warned and is aware of the evolving situation, said a US official in Washington.
Joe Biden spoke by telephone with Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Angus King and Susan Collins and Congressman Jared Golden. He offered federal support to the state after the attacks, the White House announced.
If the death toll from the shootings were confirmed, it would be the worst attack of its kind in the United States since at least August 2019, when a gunman opened fire in a Walmart store in the city in El Paso, Texas, killing 23 people.
Since 2012, the number of homicides recorded each year in Maine has varied between 16 and 29, according to state police.
(With contributions from Julia Harte, Steve Gorman and Trevor Hunnicutt; French version Camille Raynaud)
2023-10-26 05:00:27
#USAPolice #search #suspect #Maine #shootings
