The streets of Lewiston in Maine transformed into an eerie ghost town in the wake of a horror mass shooting that killed at least 18 people.
Various shelter in place orders have been introduced in the town and surrounding areas in the aftermath, with most schools and local businesses closing their doors while suspected gunman Robert Card, 40, remains on the run.
Haunting images have emerged of the small town where the shooting erupted, where streets are populated only by tactical law enforcement crews and vehicles.
While the streets have fallen silent, some residents stuck heart-shaped cut outs with positive messages such as ‘to my friends’ and ‘to my city’ onto trees on sidewalks.
The streets of Lewiston, Maine transformed into an eerie ghost town in the wake of a horror mass shooting that killed at least 18 people
Heart-shaped cut-outs with messages of positivity adorns trees in downtown Lewiston, Maine on Thursday
Haunting images have emerged of the small town where the shooting erupted
A police tactical unit makes its way down a street during the search for mass-shooting suspect Robert Card
A woman hugs a law enforcement official as they investigate outside the site of a mass shooting at Schemengees Bar and Grille
A sign of support is seen above an abandoned street in Lewiston
Cops are still hunting for the alleged gunman, with Lewiston’s streets remaining abandoned until officials are able to guarantee the safety of its residents.
A multi-agency manhunt is ongoing for suspected gunman Robert Card, 40
The gunman’s car was found abandoned in Lisbon shortly after the shooting, with investigations reportedly turning to a body of water that he may have escaped through.
Audio from police dispatchers suggested that the suspect may have crossed the border to Massachusetts, but Massachusetts State Police have said that claim is unsubstantiated.
Card’s family have pleaded for him to turn himself in, with his sister-in law claiming he heard voices at the bowling alley and bar where he went on to launch his deadly attack.
Survivors and bereaved family members have begun speaking out following the bloody massacre at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, and names of victims have begun to emerge.
The rampage has left at least 18 people dead and 13 more injured, meaning it is believed to be the deadliest mass shooting of 2023.
The shooting is the 34th mass killing involving more than four victims in the US this year. Seven of those killed at the bowling alley. Eight were found at Schemengees bar and three others later died in hospital.
Messages of support have popped up around the town in heart-shaped cut-outs
Police control a roadblock during the search for the mass-shooting suspect
An aerial view of Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, one of two locations where the gunman opened fire
A view of empty streets after curfew is declared at Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Street
At least 18 people were shot dead and a further 13 were injured in the massacre
A police tactical unit makes its way down a street during the ongoing search
Maine Governor Janet Mills confirmed the death toll in a press conference on Thursday morning, adding that Card is considered armed and dangerous.
‘This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security,’ she said.
Card is wanted on eight charges of murder, as the remaining 10 victims have so far not been identified. He was taken by police for an evaluation earlier this year after military officials grew concerned that he was erratically, a U.S. official told AP.
Nine victims of the 18 dead have been officially named, the first emerging as a retired mechanic who was devoted to his grandkids, Bob Violette, 76.
Violette was killed in the massacre that erupted inside Just In Time Recreation bowling alley, formally known as Sparetime, and Schemengee’s Bar and Grille on Wednesday evening, according to his daughter-in-law Cassandra.
The second confirmed victim is Tricia Asselin, 53, who worked at the bowling alley.
Relatives confirmed that the third victim was Joseph Walker, 57, who was a bar manager at Schemengee’s.
And Joshua Seal, 36, a father-of-four, was also confirmed dead by his wife, alongside cornhole player Bryan MacFarlane, 40.
Streets are virtually empty as people shelter in place following a mass shooting and subsequent manhunt
Even in late afternoon, people have still deserted the downtown with a shelter-in-place
Police are still searching for a suspect in the shooting, Robert Card, who allegedly killed 18 people
A sign on a Starbucks restaurant in Lewiston announces it is temporarily closed
Retired mechanic Bob Violette, 76, was one of the victims in the massacre, according to his daughter-in-law Cassandra. He was a keen bowler, and played in a couple’s bowling league with his wife when they retired
Tricia Asselin, 53, the second confirmed victim, was a part-time worker at Just-In-Time Recreation in Lewiston. She was bowling when the gunman came in and opened fire
Relatives confirmed that the third victim was Joseph Walker, 57, who was a bar manager at Schemengee’s
Joshua Seal, 36, (right) with his wife Elizabeth Seal
The fifth named victim of the massacre was Bryan MacFarlane, 40
The fifth named victim was Bryan MacFarlane, 40, who was playing cornhole with his deaf friends. Arthur Strout, 41, and Ron Morin were also confirmed dead by family and friends.
Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40, and Steve Vozzella, 45, were also identified as victims by their family, friends, and colleagues.
As the manhunt for Card continues, a local who claimed to know him alleged that he lived in a compound with a gun-fanatic family who was avoided by neighbors.
Liam Kent, who lives near Card’s home in Bowdoin, told The Messenger the community knew the suspect and his relatives as ‘gun-toting enthusiasts who lived in ‘basically a compound.’
‘They would shoot guns all the time, you could hear them every day after school. It was like clockwork,’ Kent claimed, adding that he once saw Card ‘covered in blood with a gun on his back [and] a giant grin on his face’ after going deer hunting.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers are searching for Card- a petroleum supply specialist with no military deployments. The suspect received involuntary psychiatric treatment this summer after he reported hearing voices and having thoughts about hurting other soldiers while training at Camp Smith in New York, a military source told CNN.