A sweeping manhunt is currently in progress following the identification of Robert Card, a 40-year-old resident of Bowdoin, as a person of interest in the recent shootings. The authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order for all of Androscoggin County, urging residents to remain in their homes and secure their doors.

At least 16 individuals lost their lives, with many more sustaining injuries in a series of shootings that occurred on a Wednesday night, marking what is potentially the deadliest shooting incident in the history of Maine.

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While Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck refrained from confirming the exact number of casualties during a late Wednesday news conference, unnamed law enforcement sources cited by the Associated Press reported 16 fatalities. Earlier in the evening, Androscoggin County Sheriff Eric Samson and a Lewiston city councilman had stated that the death toll could be as high as 22.

Maine State Police are actively searching for Robert Card, linking him to the shootings at Sparetime Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille. By Thursday morning, over 100 state and federal law enforcement personnel were participating in the manhunt for Card.

Card, a resident of Bowdoin, is a trained firearms instructor believed to be associated with the U.S. Army Reserve in Saco. He recently disclosed experiencing mental health issues, including auditory hallucinations, and had issued threats to attack the National Guard base in Saco, according to state police. They also revealed that he had spent two weeks at a mental health facility over the summer.

The public has been cautioned that Card should be considered armed and highly dangerous. Surveillance images released by the police show the individual identified as Card brandishing a rifle as he enters a building.

The vehicle believed to have been driven by Card, a white Subaru Outback, was discovered near the Lisbon boat dock on Frost Hill Avenue, close to Route 196. Police were engaged in door-to-door checks of nearby residences while helicopters remained in the vicinity through the night.

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In an early morning Facebook post, the Lisbon Police Department recommended that residents in the area between Mill Street in Lisbon Center and Main Street in Lisbon Falls, along the Rt 196 corridor, should continue to shelter in place, with businesses mainly remaining closed until safety concerns are addressed.

Shortly after 6 a.m. on Thursday, state police extended the shelter-in-place and school closure advisories to include the town of Bowdoin as well.

Sauschuck held a news conference around 11:30 p.m. at Lewiston City Hall, which served as a central hub for police operations. While he provided limited details, he emphasized Card’s status as a person of interest.

He further noted that “literally hundreds of police officers [were] working around the state of Maine” to investigate the case and locate Card. Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, confirmed in the early hours of Thursday that there were no updates to report and that a news conference was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Lewiston City Hall.