Authorities on Thursday identified Robert Card, 40, as the suspect in the attack, and he still remains at large.
A press conference held in the morning offered no further details on the manhunt effort, except that the FBI, as well as multiple law enforcement agencies from across states, are assisting the Maine State Police.
Maine State Police say an arrest warrant has been issued for eight counts of murder, as ten victims remain unidentified - but the number of charges will go up as that happens. With law enforcement repeatedly saying that Card is 'armed and dangerous,' a statewide manhunt is underway.
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A police officer blocks access to the road to Sparetime Recreation (Getty Images)So far - details of the hunt have been kept under wraps, with officers unable to share much at the press conference. “We’re actively searching for him,” Maine Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck told reporters. “ We don’t know his location and I’ll leave it at that.”
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Law enforcement has offered two numbers for a tip line: 207-213-9526 and 207-509-9002. Maine's police chief stated, "We’ll be sending something out later that has that information. This is a very fluid situation. We have a lot of resources… on the ground.. in a coordinated effort to apprehend this individual."
Officers sent to assist with manhunt
So far, SWAT teams have been dispatched to assist with the manhunt. The FBI is also sending behavioural scientists who can help assess the suspect and predict how he might behave in the coming hours, according to ABC News.
Governor Mills said in a press conference she spoke to and asked for the assistance of "local, federal, and state officials." In another statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, "The FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals are on the ground to provide investigative support and victims assistance services to our law enforcement partners in Maine," he said.
Connecticut and New Hampshire said their state police departments are on alert and monitoring the manhunt for the person of interest in the Lewiston shooting. "No specific threats have been received, but in the interest of public safety, we are closely monitoring the situation and remain in close communication with our regional law enforcement partners," the Connecticut State Police said in a statement this morning.
Massachusetts State Police Colonel John Mawn has also been in contact with his counterparts from Maine and the other New England states "to assess and coordinate capabilities for providing mutual aid to the Maine State Police,” according to an MSP statement released Thursday morning. “The full complement of Massachusetts State Police assets stand ready for deployment if requested, as necessitated by the evolving investigation and fugitive apprehension mission.”
Shutdowns across Maine
The towns of Bowdoin, Lisbon, and Lewiston have been ordered to shelter in place. Most school districts announced closures, with parents keeping their children at home and the local authorities urging families to stay home so that law enforcement can conduct the manhunt.
In a tweet around 6am, Maine State Police said, “We are expanding the shelter-in-place advisory and school closings to include the town of Bowdoin. Please stay inside your homes while more than 100 local and federal investigators work to locate Robert Card, a person of interest in the Lewiston shootings.”
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