Maine search for shooter expands to river as thousands shelter in place

The massive law enforcement effort to capture the suspected gunman in a Maine mass shooting has expanded to local waterways, officials said Friday, as a stay-in-place order remains in two counties.

Police believe Robert Card is the man who killed 18 people and injured 13 more in a mass shooting at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday evening. He is still at large.

Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said in a press conference that police helicopters and divers will search the Androscoggin River on Friday near the boat launch where Card abandoned his vehicle.

Much of central Maine, including Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city, remains under a shelter-in-place order as the search continues.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers from all over the country have descended on the area to search for Card, who is suspected of carrying out the most deadly mass shooting in America this year — and likely the deadliest mass attack in Maine history.

He first opened fire on patrons at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley around 7 p.m. and then travelled to Schemengees Bar & Grille, 4 miles away, and killed multiple patrons attending cornhole night.

Investigations continue at both shooting scenes. Sauschuck said law enforcement is “days away” from finishing up at the locations, taking time to ensure that all forensic evidence is accounted for.

Eight of the shooting’s 13 injured victims are still in the hospital, according to medical officials. Five of them are in stable condition while three remained in critical condition as of Thursday evening.

Sauschuck said Friday that eight of the 18 victims have been identified and their families informed of their deaths.

Sauschuck said law enforcement has received more than 530 tips and leads about Card’s possible whereabouts. He said police have been working around the clock on the search.

“I think that every minute that this goes on we’re more and more concerned,” he said. “And we understand that, and that’s why we’re working 24/7 to bring this individual to justice and to try to bring some closure and overall safety to our communities.”