Arrest warrant issued for suspect in Lewiston, Maine mass shooting

A US Army reservist is wanted for murder after 18 people were killed and 13 others injured in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine.

Police said they had issued an arrest warrant for Robert Card on eight counts of murder after the attack.

“It’s eight counts because 10 people have not been identified,” Maine State Police Col. William Ross said.

Further charges are expected. The suspect is at large and is considered “armed and dangerous”, Col. Ross said.

The shooting began at a bowling alley in the small town just before 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT), the police colonel said. One woman and six men were killed by “apparent gunshot wounds”.

The suspect then allegedly moved to a nearby restaurant, where police said that eight men were shot and killed. Sixteen people were transferred to local hospitals and three so far have died.

Authorities declined to comment on the ages or other details of victims, until families and loved ones have had chance to identify them and reconnect with those injured.

Residents in Lewiston and three nearby towns remain under a shelter in place notice. Schools as well as local stores and shops have closed.

Maine’s Governor Janet Mills called it a “dark day” for her state and pledged “to seek full justice for the victims and their families”.

The FBI and other federal US law enforcement agencies are aiding local and state police in the manhunt. Neighbouring states are also providing resources and remaining vigilant, as the suspect could have travelled across state lines.

Maine State Police said in a bulletin that the suspect had recently reported mental health issues “to include hearing voices and threats to shoot up a military installation in southern Maine”.

He had reportedly been admitted to a mental health treatment facility over the summer.

Maine police denied earlier reports he was a firearms instructor, saying there was “no indication he attended advance weaponry courses”.

Investigators are “looking into” the suspect’s purported mental health challenges, Public Safety Commissioner Mike Saschuk told reporters.

Mr Saschuk said he was aware of state and federal laws aimed at stopping those with mental health issues from obtaining firearms. Authorities would be “reviewing that information as we move forward”, he said.

President Joe Biden ordered flags at the White House and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect for those who died.

He also called on Republican lawmakers in Congress to pass gun safety legislation.

“This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars – physical and mental – of this latest attack,” he said.