'Absolutely disgusting', says NBA team's head coach
Video content
Video caption: NBA coach gets emotional: ‘It's over for our country'NBA coach gets emotional: ‘It's over for our country'
The mass shooting in Lewiston has so far claimed 18 lives, the deadliest in the history of Maine.
Tens of thousands more lives have been shaken in Lewiston, the small, quiet town where the devastation occurred.
However, the effects of the tragedy - and others like it - often have a rippling effect that extend well beyond the gunfire's range.
Mike Brown, head coach of the Sacramento Kings, a team over 3,000 miles (4,828km) away from Lewiston, nearly broke down in tears during a postgame press conference after he heard the news.
"That is absolutely disgusting," Brown said. "And
it’s sad. It’s sad that we sit here and watch this happen time after time
after time after time and nobody does anything about it."
Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, made a similar pregame plea last year after the deadly mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 21 people dead.
"When are we going to do something?" Kerr yelled, slamming his fists on the table. "I'm tired. I am so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there... Enough!"
Recap: What's happening in Maine?
GettyCopyright: Getty
If you’re
just joining us, here’s a recap of events over the last 24 hours.
Police are
conducting a wide manhunt after a man killed 18 people and injured 13 others in
the town of Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday night
Local
residents are under a shelter-in-place order and our reporters on the scene say
very few are out on the streets
The
shootings began at 18:56 local time (22:56 GMT) on Wednesday at Just-In-Time Recreation
in Lewiston followed by Schemengees Bar and Grille
Police
have named a suspect: 40 year-old Robert Card of nearby Bowdoin. They say he is
armed and dangerous. A white Subaru belonging to Card was found at a nearby boat
launch, and Coast Guard boats and aircraft have joined in the manhunt
Eight victims remain in hospital
Video content
Video caption: Eight patients in hospital, three in critical conditionEight patients in hospital, three in critical condition
We've just heard from hospital officials, who said during a news conference that Central Maine Health Care is currently taking care of eight patients from the shooting.
Three are in critical condition, while five are in stable condition, according to John Alexander, the chief medical officer at the hospital.
Alexander said the health care centre received a total of 14 patients after the shooting, including three who died, two who were discharged, one who was transferred, and eight who were admitted to the hospital.
White House urges more action on gun violence
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Earlier, we heard from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who is calling on Congress to pass legislation to tackle gun violence.
"It does not have to be this way," she said about yesterday's shooting.
"It's within Congress's power to pass legislation that will make our streets safer, that will make our community safer, that will make our schools safer."
Congress passed legislation last year imposing tougher checks on young gun buyers and encouraging states to remove guns from people considered a threat - the most significant measure passed in decades.
But the bill left out some of the stricter measures that President Joe Biden and other Democrats have long been pushing for.
Biden is an advocate for a ban on assault weapons, but Congress has proven unwilling to pass one, even during the first two years of Biden's presidency, when Democrats controlled both chambers.
Canada issues alert about suspect
Canada's Border Services Agency has issued an "armed and dangerous" alert to officers located on the US-Canada border, telling them to be on the lookout for suspect Robert Card, according to Canadian news outlets.
The agency says it is working with Canadian and US law enforcement, including US Customs and Border Protection, to "protect Canada's borders against any threat or attempt at illegal entry".
The shooting happened in the state of Maine, which borders Canada.
Coast Guard joins the search
The Coast Guard has joined the search for suspect Robert Card.
In a statement to the BBC, the Coast Guard says it is working closely with federal, state and local partners. It has a boat and an aircraft assisting with patrols in the counties where the search continues, it says.
"If our Coast Guard crews discover any suspicious activity, or anything of interest, we will notify the Maine State Police, and other partners leading the response operations," a spokesperson says.
Mass shooting will stir political debate
Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Lewiston
I’ve reported for the BBC on a few high-profile shootings
in the US, including Uvalde and Nashville.
I often hear from people “we don’t do politics”. But it’s
hard to avoid in the end because guns are political.
President Biden has today repeated his wish for a bill to
be passed banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and to bring in
universal background checks.
It’s a wish that’s deeply unpopular with many
Republicans who see it as a challenge to people’s constitutional right to bear
arms.
Maine is one of the safest states when it comes to guns -
weapons-related murders are rare here.
However, the state lacks major gun legislation. It has a
“yellow flag” system backed by the state’s Republican Senator Susan Collins -
that allows police and prosecutors to temporarily disarm people legally deemed
dangerous.
But some lawmakers say it doesn’t go far enough. This
will be emphasised even harder, following confirmation that suspected gunman
Robert Card was reported as “behaving erratically“ while with his Army Reserve
Unit and suffered from mental health problems.
US President: Flags to fly at half-mast as mark of respect
EPACopyright: EPA
Out of respect for the victims, President Joe Biden says the US flag will be flown at half-staff over the White House, public and military buildings in the coming days.
The mass shooting in Lewiston, which the president called "senseless acts of violence," is the deadliest in the US this year.
The flag at US embassies, legations, and consular offices will also be flown at half-mast.
Vice President Kamala Harris also addressed the shooting on Thursday, saying Lewiston had become yet another community "torn apart by senseless gun violence".
“Once again, routine gatherings - this time at a bowling alley and a restaurant - have been turned into scenes of horrific carnage,” Harris said at a meeting held for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Lewiston a ghost town with suspect on loose
Holly Honderich
Reporting from Maine
As you cross the bridge over Androscoggin River into Lewiston, a
large electronic sign carries a warning: SHELTER IN PLACE.
And around this small city, most people seem to be heeding the government order
to the remain inside with doors locked after a gunman opened fire in two local
establishments, killing at least 18.
Lewiston, an idyllic New England town in the south of the state now resembles a
ghost town - the doors and windows of homes, shops and businesses turned dark
for miles surrounding the crime scenes.
With the exception of a few dog walkers, the only outside are
either media or law enforcement, mostly clustered nearby the two sites of the
shooting and the Central Maine Medical Center, where some of the 13 injured are
being treated.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, ever,” said long-time
Lewiston resident Peter Fertesky. “Even when the virus [Covid] was out, people
were outside.”
But the shooting has rocked his typically peaceful home, he
said. “It’s scary.”
“But I wouldn’t move out of here if you paid me.”
Maine becomes the deadliest US mass shooting this year
Police
said 18 people died in last night's attack.
That
makes it the deadliest mass shooting in the US this year, according to data
from the Gun Violence Archive.
The second deadliest attack in 2023 was the 72-year-old
man in California who killed 11 people in a ballroom.
In Lewiston, 13 others were injured from apparent gunshot
wounds, police said, and are being treated in hospital.
Lynn Ellis, legislative director at the Maine Gun
Safety coalition told the BBC that Wednesday night's tragedy was the deadliest
shooting in the state's history.
"Everyone is in complete shock," said Ellis,
who lives roughly 8-10 miles (12-16km) away the incident.
She said mass shootings of this scale in the state are
extremely rare.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, only two other
mass shootings have occurred in Maine for as long as the organisation has been
keeping track, since 2014.
Suspect reportedly in cornhole club at bar that was attacked
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Eight people were killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille in
Lewiston, which was busy at the time, according to local media reports.
Wednesday was league night at the venue for teams
playing cornhole – a game that involves tossing bean bags at a wooden board
with a hole in the middle.
Rick Wilson, one of the founders of Maine Event Cornhole
club, told the Lewiston Sun Journal that Card was a member of the cornhole club
at Schemengees.
Unanswered questions
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Police outside Schemengees Bar in Lewiston, now a crime sceneImage caption: Police outside Schemengees Bar in Lewiston, now a crime scene
There’s still plenty that we don’t know after this morning's press conference.
We’re still waiting to hear about the names and ages of the victims,
and about whether any of them are children.
Police said they had identified eight out of
the 18 dead. One of the crime scenes, the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, was
popular with families.
The suspect Robert Card’s whereabouts are unknown, authorities said. Police would not answer questions about any potential motive and reports the suspect had mental health problems.
According to a bulletin by the Maine Information and Analysis Center, Card "recently reported mental health issues to include hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, [Maine]".
One reporter asked: "How would someone that fits that
profile still be in possession of semi-automatic weapons?"
Mike Sauschuck, from Maine's department of public safety, noted the laws around firearms and "are
pretty complex", and "that's not an answer that we're prepared to give
today".
Maine does not have
a "red flag law" – a provision in some states and local areas that allows judges
or police to temporarily take away a person’s guns if they pose a threat to themselves
or others.
Maine householder locks doors for first time ever
Holly Honderich
Reporting from Maine
I’m in southern Maine, on my way to Lewiston. Residents are visibly shaken by the sudden flash of violence in their normally peaceful state - made worse by the knowledge the suspect is still at large.
One man told me last night was the first time in Maine he had felt compelled to lock his doors.
Even miles away from the scene, outside the areas still under a shelter-in-place notice, many stores and shops have decided to remain closed anyway.
Some have printed paper signs saying they’ll be back when things are safer.
Family members urge suspect to turn himself in
A sister-in-law of the suspect, Robert Card, says family
members are messaging him to surrender to police.
Katie Card is married to Card's brother. She told the Daily
Beast her brother-in-law has been hearing voices.
She said "in the past year, he had an acute episode of mental health, and it’s
been a struggle".
Her brother-in-law recently began insisting to family members that he could hear people talking about him at the bowling alley and bar where he is suspected
of shooting 18 people dead, Katie Card said.
"He truly believed he was hearing people say things," she said. "This all just happened within the last few months."
Katie Card said her brother-in-law would "get mad" when they told him the voices were just in his head.
Biden: This is not normal
President Joe Biden has just posted on social media his statement about the shooting in Maine.
He says he and First Lady Jill Biden are praying for the victims.
"Far too many Americans have now had a family member killed or injured as a result of gun violence," he says.
"That is not normal, and we cannot accept it."
He ends the statement by urging lawmakers to ban assault weapons, among other sweeping gun control measures.
"This is the very least we owe every American," he says.
EPACopyright: EPA
Stay vigilant, says FBI
A little earlier we heard from FBI special agent Jodi Cohen, who pledged investigators would work day and night on the case.
Video content
Video caption: We want the public to stay vigilant - FBIWe want the public to stay vigilant - FBI
Closed roads and border officials on alert - the scene in Lewiston
Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Lewiston
BBCCopyright: BBC
We’ve just arrived in Lewiston. A shelter in place order is in force meaning effectively the city is under lockdown.
People are advised to stay indoors as the hunt for the gunman continues.
Obviously we can’t get anywhere near the bowling alley or the restaurant where the shootings took place - they are about four miles apart.
Authorities in other nearby north-eastern states like New Hampshire are on alert.
Maine borders Canada. Officials there say they are monitoring to ensure the safety of Canada’s borders.
As we left for our journey from Maine’s largest second city Portland, a very sweet lady at a toll road said to us "please stay safe".
What we learned from that news conference
Video content
Video caption: Governor of Maine: 'The manhunt continues'Governor of Maine: 'The manhunt continues'
In the last few minutes, officials in Maine - including state governor Janet Mills and the FBI's Jodi Cohen - gave the the world's media an update after shootings in the city of Lewiston left multiple people dead.
Here's what they said:
Eighteen people were killed and another 13 injured - seven died at a bowling alley and eight at a restaurant, a further three people died in hospital
Eight of the victims have been identified, and their families informed, but 10 remain unidentified
An arrest warrant has been issued for 40-year-old Robert Card, the suspected gunman, who remains on the loose. So far he's wanted for eight counts of murder - that number will likely rise to 18 when the remaining 10 victims are identified
Police received their first 911 call about the shooting at 18:56 local time (22:56 GMT) on Wednesday - further calls were received 12 minutes later
Maine has been offered police and security support from neighbouring states, and President Joe Biden has personally spoken to Mill to offer the White House's help and support
Some big questions remain for police and officials - especially those they would not be drawn on after the news conference.
We don't yet know the ages of the victims and whether any are children - nor did we learn any more about reports Card had mental health issues, whether police know a motive, or how Card had access to a gun.
Press conference ends
Officials say they won't be taking anymore questions and the news conference ends there - though reporters continue to shout questions until the live feed from inside the room cuts out.
Sauschuck says more questions will be answered in the following days.
Questions about shooter's motive not answered
Some of the final questions are about the police search and advice for the public.
Sauschuck is asked what the motive behind the attacks could be, and why these locations were targeted, but he refuses to answer these questions.
He goes on to say helicopters will be "very, very valuable assets" in the search for suspect Robert Card.
And finally, asked what people are encouraged to do to help the process of identifying victims, Sauschuck says there are liaison officers working with loved ones at a reunification centre opened last night (which we reported on earlier) - and they are dealing with each situation separately.
Live Reporting
Edited by Jessica Murphy
All times stated are UK
Get involved
'Absolutely disgusting', says NBA team's head coach
Video content
The mass shooting in Lewiston has so far claimed 18 lives, the deadliest in the history of Maine.
Tens of thousands more lives have been shaken in Lewiston, the small, quiet town where the devastation occurred.
However, the effects of the tragedy - and others like it - often have a rippling effect that extend well beyond the gunfire's range.
Mike Brown, head coach of the Sacramento Kings, a team over 3,000 miles (4,828km) away from Lewiston, nearly broke down in tears during a postgame press conference after he heard the news.
"That is absolutely disgusting," Brown said. "And it’s sad. It’s sad that we sit here and watch this happen time after time after time after time and nobody does anything about it."
Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, made a similar pregame plea last year after the deadly mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 21 people dead.
"When are we going to do something?" Kerr yelled, slamming his fists on the table. "I'm tired. I am so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there... Enough!"
Recap: What's happening in Maine?
If you’re just joining us, here’s a recap of events over the last 24 hours.
Eight victims remain in hospital
Video content
We've just heard from hospital officials, who said during a news conference that Central Maine Health Care is currently taking care of eight patients from the shooting.
Three are in critical condition, while five are in stable condition, according to John Alexander, the chief medical officer at the hospital.
Alexander said the health care centre received a total of 14 patients after the shooting, including three who died, two who were discharged, one who was transferred, and eight who were admitted to the hospital.
White House urges more action on gun violence
Earlier, we heard from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who is calling on Congress to pass legislation to tackle gun violence.
"It does not have to be this way," she said about yesterday's shooting.
"It's within Congress's power to pass legislation that will make our streets safer, that will make our community safer, that will make our schools safer."
Congress passed legislation last year imposing tougher checks on young gun buyers and encouraging states to remove guns from people considered a threat - the most significant measure passed in decades.
But the bill left out some of the stricter measures that President Joe Biden and other Democrats have long been pushing for.
Biden is an advocate for a ban on assault weapons, but Congress has proven unwilling to pass one, even during the first two years of Biden's presidency, when Democrats controlled both chambers.
Canada issues alert about suspect
Canada's Border Services Agency has issued an "armed and dangerous" alert to officers located on the US-Canada border, telling them to be on the lookout for suspect Robert Card, according to Canadian news outlets.
The agency says it is working with Canadian and US law enforcement, including US Customs and Border Protection, to "protect Canada's borders against any threat or attempt at illegal entry".
The shooting happened in the state of Maine, which borders Canada.
Coast Guard joins the search
The Coast Guard has joined the search for suspect Robert Card.
In a statement to the BBC, the Coast Guard says it is working closely with federal, state and local partners. It has a boat and an aircraft assisting with patrols in the counties where the search continues, it says.
"If our Coast Guard crews discover any suspicious activity, or anything of interest, we will notify the Maine State Police, and other partners leading the response operations," a spokesperson says.
Mass shooting will stir political debate
Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Lewiston
I’ve reported for the BBC on a few high-profile shootings in the US, including Uvalde and Nashville.
I often hear from people “we don’t do politics”. But it’s hard to avoid in the end because guns are political.
President Biden has today repeated his wish for a bill to be passed banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and to bring in universal background checks.
It’s a wish that’s deeply unpopular with many Republicans who see it as a challenge to people’s constitutional right to bear arms.
Maine is one of the safest states when it comes to guns - weapons-related murders are rare here.
However, the state lacks major gun legislation. It has a “yellow flag” system backed by the state’s Republican Senator Susan Collins - that allows police and prosecutors to temporarily disarm people legally deemed dangerous.
But some lawmakers say it doesn’t go far enough. This will be emphasised even harder, following confirmation that suspected gunman Robert Card was reported as “behaving erratically“ while with his Army Reserve Unit and suffered from mental health problems.
US President: Flags to fly at half-mast as mark of respect
Out of respect for the victims, President Joe Biden says the US flag will be flown at half-staff over the White House, public and military buildings in the coming days.
The mass shooting in Lewiston, which the president called "senseless acts of violence," is the deadliest in the US this year.
The flag at US embassies, legations, and consular offices will also be flown at half-mast.
Vice President Kamala Harris also addressed the shooting on Thursday, saying Lewiston had become yet another community "torn apart by senseless gun violence".
“Once again, routine gatherings - this time at a bowling alley and a restaurant - have been turned into scenes of horrific carnage,” Harris said at a meeting held for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Lewiston a ghost town with suspect on loose
Holly Honderich
Reporting from Maine
As you cross the bridge over Androscoggin River into Lewiston, a large electronic sign carries a warning: SHELTER IN PLACE. And around this small city, most people seem to be heeding the government order to the remain inside with doors locked after a gunman opened fire in two local establishments, killing at least 18. Lewiston, an idyllic New England town in the south of the state now resembles a ghost town - the doors and windows of homes, shops and businesses turned dark for miles surrounding the crime scenes.
With the exception of a few dog walkers, the only outside are either media or law enforcement, mostly clustered nearby the two sites of the shooting and the Central Maine Medical Center, where some of the 13 injured are being treated.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, ever,” said long-time Lewiston resident Peter Fertesky. “Even when the virus [Covid] was out, people were outside.”
But the shooting has rocked his typically peaceful home, he said. “It’s scary.”
“But I wouldn’t move out of here if you paid me.”
Maine becomes the deadliest US mass shooting this year
Police said 18 people died in last night's attack.
That makes it the deadliest mass shooting in the US this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
The second deadliest attack in 2023 was the 72-year-old man in California who killed 11 people in a ballroom.
In Lewiston, 13 others were injured from apparent gunshot wounds, police said, and are being treated in hospital.
Lynn Ellis, legislative director at the Maine Gun Safety coalition told the BBC that Wednesday night's tragedy was the deadliest shooting in the state's history.
"Everyone is in complete shock," said Ellis, who lives roughly 8-10 miles (12-16km) away the incident.
She said mass shootings of this scale in the state are extremely rare.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, only two other mass shootings have occurred in Maine for as long as the organisation has been keeping track, since 2014.
Suspect reportedly in cornhole club at bar that was attacked
Eight people were killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston, which was busy at the time, according to local media reports.
Wednesday was league night at the venue for teams playing cornhole – a game that involves tossing bean bags at a wooden board with a hole in the middle.
Rick Wilson, one of the founders of Maine Event Cornhole club, told the Lewiston Sun Journal that Card was a member of the cornhole club at Schemengees.
Unanswered questions
There’s still plenty that we don’t know after this morning's press conference.
We’re still waiting to hear about the names and ages of the victims, and about whether any of them are children.
Police said they had identified eight out of the 18 dead. One of the crime scenes, the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, was popular with families.
The suspect Robert Card’s whereabouts are unknown, authorities said. Police would not answer questions about any potential motive and reports the suspect had mental health problems.
According to a bulletin by the Maine Information and Analysis Center, Card "recently reported mental health issues to include hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, [Maine]".
One reporter asked: "How would someone that fits that profile still be in possession of semi-automatic weapons?"
Mike Sauschuck, from Maine's department of public safety, noted the laws around firearms and "are pretty complex", and "that's not an answer that we're prepared to give today".
Maine does not have a "red flag law" – a provision in some states and local areas that allows judges or police to temporarily take away a person’s guns if they pose a threat to themselves or others.
Maine householder locks doors for first time ever
Holly Honderich
Reporting from Maine
I’m in southern Maine, on my way to Lewiston. Residents are visibly shaken by the sudden flash of violence in their normally peaceful state - made worse by the knowledge the suspect is still at large.
One man told me last night was the first time in Maine he had felt compelled to lock his doors.
Even miles away from the scene, outside the areas still under a shelter-in-place notice, many stores and shops have decided to remain closed anyway.
Some have printed paper signs saying they’ll be back when things are safer.
Family members urge suspect to turn himself in
A sister-in-law of the suspect, Robert Card, says family members are messaging him to surrender to police.
Katie Card is married to Card's brother. She told the Daily Beast her brother-in-law has been hearing voices.
She said "in the past year, he had an acute episode of mental health, and it’s been a struggle".
Her brother-in-law recently began insisting to family members that he could hear people talking about him at the bowling alley and bar where he is suspected of shooting 18 people dead, Katie Card said.
"He truly believed he was hearing people say things," she said. "This all just happened within the last few months."
Katie Card said her brother-in-law would "get mad" when they told him the voices were just in his head.
Biden: This is not normal
President Joe Biden has just posted on social media his statement about the shooting in Maine.
He says he and First Lady Jill Biden are praying for the victims.
"Far too many Americans have now had a family member killed or injured as a result of gun violence," he says.
"That is not normal, and we cannot accept it."
He ends the statement by urging lawmakers to ban assault weapons, among other sweeping gun control measures.
"This is the very least we owe every American," he says.
Stay vigilant, says FBI
A little earlier we heard from FBI special agent Jodi Cohen, who pledged investigators would work day and night on the case.
Video content
Closed roads and border officials on alert - the scene in Lewiston
Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Lewiston
We’ve just arrived in Lewiston. A shelter in place order is in force meaning effectively the city is under lockdown.
People are advised to stay indoors as the hunt for the gunman continues.
Obviously we can’t get anywhere near the bowling alley or the restaurant where the shootings took place - they are about four miles apart.
Authorities in other nearby north-eastern states like New Hampshire are on alert.
Maine borders Canada. Officials there say they are monitoring to ensure the safety of Canada’s borders.
As we left for our journey from Maine’s largest second city Portland, a very sweet lady at a toll road said to us "please stay safe".
What we learned from that news conference
Video content
In the last few minutes, officials in Maine - including state governor Janet Mills and the FBI's Jodi Cohen - gave the the world's media an update after shootings in the city of Lewiston left multiple people dead.
Here's what they said:
Some big questions remain for police and officials - especially those they would not be drawn on after the news conference.
We don't yet know the ages of the victims and whether any are children - nor did we learn any more about reports Card had mental health issues, whether police know a motive, or how Card had access to a gun.
Press conference ends
Officials say they won't be taking anymore questions and the news conference ends there - though reporters continue to shout questions until the live feed from inside the room cuts out.
Sauschuck says more questions will be answered in the following days.
Questions about shooter's motive not answered
Some of the final questions are about the police search and advice for the public.
Sauschuck is asked what the motive behind the attacks could be, and why these locations were targeted, but he refuses to answer these questions.
He goes on to say helicopters will be "very, very valuable assets" in the search for suspect Robert Card.
And finally, asked what people are encouraged to do to help the process of identifying victims, Sauschuck says there are liaison officers working with loved ones at a reunification centre opened last night (which we reported on earlier) - and they are dealing with each situation separately.