On Wednesday, according to information provided by a police source, NBC conveyed that a minimum of 22 lives were lost in a series of shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Furthermore, there are reports of more than 50 to 60 individuals sustaining injuries, although the precise number of injuries attributable to gunfire remains uncertain.
ABC News disclosed that these shooting incidents transpired at a bowling alley, a local bar, and a Walmart distribution center. Two unidentified law enforcement officials, speaking with the Associated Press, expressed their expectation of an increasing death toll. They clarified that investigators are presently engaged in the process of scrutinizing the crime scenes and accumulating evidence.
In earlier developments, Lewiston Police announced that they were actively investigating at least two instances of active shooters within the city. Additionally, they shared two images of a suspect who appeared to be wielding a semiautomatic rifle. The Androscoggin County Sheriff\’s Office urged businesses to secure their premises or cease operations during the investigation and issued a public notice to take shelter.
A United States official confirmed that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation. Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline conveyed his deep sorrow for the city\’s residents and encouraged them to adhere to safety protocols, underscoring the fortitude and resilience of Lewiston.
This tragic occurrence represents the most fatal mass shooting in the United States since May 2022, when a perpetrator targeted an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, resulting in the loss of 19 children and two educators, as reported by Reuters, referencing data from the Gun Violence Archive. The number of mass shootings involving four or more individuals being shot has seen a significant increase since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, with at least 647 such incidents documented in 2022, according to data from the archive.
