Maine: The US state of Maine on Wednesday witnessed a tragic gun violence incident that saw at least 22 people dead. Many others were injured as “hundreds of police officers” scrambled to track down “the person of interest.”
The shootings took place across three separate locations in a bowling alley, a restaurant and a Walmart distribution centre in Maine’s second most populous city of Lewiston, as per reports in local media house Portland Press Herald. Police, fire and rescue personnel were seen at the sites of reported shootings at around 6.56 pm local time (4.26 am IST on Thursday), it said.
Police are yet to confirm the number of casualties. However, Lewiston City Councilor Robert McCarthy told CNN that 22 people have been killed so far, adding that he was told this information by a city administrator in a text message.
The Lewiston Police Department has issued a shelter-in-place order for the city. Residents are urged to stay inside with their doors locked. “We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate, the sheriff’s office reported. “Law enforcement is currently investigating at two locations right now. Again please stay off the streets and allow law enforcement to diffuse the situation,” the alert read.
The FBI has sent aviation units to help in the search for the gunman.
