LEWISTON, MAINE: The state of Maine witnessed the deadliest mass shooting of 2023 with at least 18 people reported to be dead and a minimum of 13 others injured.
Army reservist and fishing enthusiast Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin has been declared as the “person of interest” in the Maine shooting.
No motive has yet been identified for Card's rampage.
Horrifying moments that led to Lewiston's rampage
6.56 pm, October 25
On Wednesday, October 25, a little before 7 pm, police received several 911 calls regarding an active shooter at a Lewiston bowling alley Just-In-Time Recreation, per Col William Ross of the Maine State Police said, per New York Post.
At 6.56 pm, police responded to the 911 calls regarding the shooting at the bowling alley.
7.08 pm, October 25
12 minutes later, police received multiple calls regarding active shooting from Schemengees Bar & Grill at 7.08 pm.
Col Ross explained that the bar is located around four miles away from the bowling alley.
8.00 pm, October 25
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released the first photo of the suspect. In a photo released on Facebook, the suspect, presumed to be Card, was seen holding a gun that appeared to be an AR-15 assault rifle at Just-in-Time.
8.09 pm, October 25
Per CNN, at 8.09 pm, the Maine State Police issued a warning about an active shooter in Lewiston and asked the residents to shelter-in-place.
The same announcement of shelter-in-place was issued in the neighboring city of Auburn within a few minutes.
9.17 pm, October 25
Police released a picture of a vehicle of interest related to the suspect. Picture of a white Subaru with a black bumper was released while asking the public to alert the poilice if the same vehicle is seen.
9.26 pm, October 25
Police first identified Robert Card, 40, as the primary suspect after the Lewiston Police Department received a call identifying the Army Reservist as the suspect.
9.56 pm, October 25
30 minutes later, the similar white Subaru with a black bumper was found abandoned at the Pejepscot Boat Launch on the Androscoggin River in Lisbon, seven miles from Lewiston.
Card is believed to have fled from the second shooting spot in the same car.
According to Maine Director of Public Safety, Michael Sauschuck, shelter-in-place orders were also issued for the same area immediately.
The investigators also found a gun inside the vehicle while checking the car. It has, however, not yet been determined whether it was the same gun used in the mass shooting.
Tricia Asselin is dubbed ‘hero’ as she tried calling 911
53-year-old Tricia Asselin is hailed as a hero as she reportedly tried to call 911 when the carnage was taking place at the bowling alley.
Asselin, with her other sister Bobbi Nichols were at the bowling alley Just-In-Time Recreation.
Nichols, who was at a different lane than Asselin, was able to escape Card’s terror.
Their brother DJ Johnson told CNN that Asselin worked part-time at Just-In-Time Recreation.
Johnson said, “What I’m told is that when it all started happening, she ran up to the counter and started to call 911, and that’s when she was shot,” before adding, “That was just her. She wasn’t going to run (away). She was going to try and help.”
Nichols described the chaotic situation where the people in the bowling alley started panicking and rushing out. While she was able to escape, she could not see her sister.
Nichols recounted the terrifying experience, “I kept asking, ‘Where’s my sister’? She’s in there and I just wanted to be with my sister.”
Nichols, who also said that Asselin called 911 before she was shot, dubbed her sister a hero, saying, “My sister is a hero.”
