Maine State Police Col. William Ross said Thursday an arrest warrant for fugitive Robert Card has been issued on at least eight counts of murder as the victims are still being identified from a series of mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday night.
He said eight people were killed at Schemengees Bar and Grill while seven were killed at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, while another three died after being transported to local hospitals.
A massive manhunt is underway to find 40-year-old Card of Bowdoin, who has been identified by authorities as the suspect.
"Currently, there is an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder for Mr. Card," Ross said. "And the reason it's eight counts, because ten people have not yet been identified as those people are identified, the counts will probably go to the total of 18."
LIVE UPDATES: MANHUNT FOR SUSPECT AFTER MASS SHOOTING IN LEWISTON, MAINE
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said there were 18 people dead in the shootings and 13 injured. Three of those injured, a Maine medical official says, are currently in critical condition.
"In memory of those we lost and in honor of those who were injured, President Biden and I have ordered all U.S. flags and state of Maine flags to be lowered to half staff immediately for the next five days," Mills said.
"Lewiston is a special place. It's a close-knit community with a long history of hard work, of persistence, of faith," Mills also said. "This city did not deserve this terrible assault on the citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security. No city does, no state, no people, no words can truly or fully measure the grief of Maine people today. Our small state of just 1.3 million people has long been known as one of the safest states in the nation. This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear.
MAINE POLICE AUDIO DESCRIBES FRANTIC SHOOTING RESPONSE
Ross said Card "should be considered armed and dangerous" and "Based on our investigation, we believe this is someone that should not be approached."
Mike Sauschuck, the commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, also said "we don't know his location" and "I'll leave it at that."
He added that there is "a full court press by all of our partners to bring [Card] into custody."
Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre said "I want to thank all of our brave men and women of the Lewiston Police Department, fire departments, staff, medical personnel, first responders of any kind that came from far and wide and come together and continue to work tirelessly in bringing this situation to an end."
Mills described the shooting – the motive of which remains unknown – and its aftermath as "a dark day for Maine."
"I know it's hard for us to think about healing when our hearts are broken. But I want every person in Maine to know and we will heal together. We are strong. We are resilient. We are a very caring people," she said. "In the days and weeks ahead, we will need to lean on those qualities more than ever before. As we move forward, struggling as we may, let us wrap our arms around one another, offer comfort and solace and love."
