City officials in Lewiston, Maine, have reported that a minimum of 22 individuals lost their lives, and a significant number of others sustained injuries in a series of shootings on Wednesday evening. The shootings resulted in an influx of gunshot victims, placing a tremendous burden on local hospitals.

According to City Councilor Robert McCarthy, the number of fatalities in the shooting spree, which occurred at a bowling alley and at least one other location, likely a local restaurant and bar, has increased to 22. 

"My understanding is that they have a tentative identification... of the shooter at the bowling alley, confirmed 22 dead, many, many more injured," McCarthy said. 

As stated by McCarthy, rescue vehicles from various areas in central Maine quickly responded to assist the injured. He mentioned that both Lewiston hospitals have summoned all available off-duty personnel to address the situation.

During a state dinner honoring the Australian Prime Minister, US President Joe Biden placed phone calls to the Governor of Maine, its two senators, and a local congressman to extend federal assistance, as confirmed by the White House.

Local police posted a photo of the shooter on Facebook carrying what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon inside the bowling alley. 

#Lewiston, ME, witnessed a horrifying mass shooting incident, resulting in a minimum of 22 fatalities & 50 people injured. shootings occurred at three locations: a Walmart distribution center, a bar, & a third site‼️#Maine #BowlingAlley #LewistonMaine #Massshooting #RobertCard pic.twitter.com/lrGWOjUoHY

— unblemish (@bhadrauli) October 26, 2023

Subsequently, they issued a notice for Robert Card, aged 40, labeling him as the suspect in the mass shooting and advising that he should be viewed as armed and a potential threat.

"Please contact law enforcement if you are aware of his whereabouts." 

Law enforcement authorities also shared an image of a white SUV and sought the assistance of the public in identifying the vehicle. They mentioned that the front bumper of the SUV might have been painted black.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Department posted on Facebook that they are in the process of investigating two separate incidents involving active shooters.

"We are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate. The suspect is still at large." 

Maine Governor Janet Mills acknowledged her awareness and briefing on the active shooter situation in Lewiston.

Multiple law enforcement sources indicated that approximately 50 to 60 people suffered injuries in the incidents, although it remained unclear how many of these injuries resulted from gunfire, CNN reported.

In response to reports of an active shooter, police and rescue teams arrived at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley around 7:15 pm local time. Subsequently, they received reports of another shooting at the Schemengees Bar & Grille, as reported by the local newspaper Sun Journal. At 8:15 pm, another shooting incident was reported at a local Walmart distribution center.

This shooting incident is among the deadliest since 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a crowded music festival in Las Vegas, resulting in approximately 60 casualties.

The United States faces a distressingly high occurrence of gun violence, as it is a country with more firearms than its population, and attempts to regulate their proliferation consistently encounter strong opposition.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization that defines mass shootings as incidents in which four or more people are wounded or killed, the United States has documented over 500 mass shootings this year.

Read more: US exceeded 100 mass shootings in just 64 days