Shooting in the US leaves at least 22 dead, dozens injured

State and local police earlier reported that a gunman was active Wednesday evening local time and that they were searching extensively for him, but did not provide casualty figures.

Mass shootings in the US left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured photo 1 — In this image taken from video released by the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office, an unidentified gunman points a gun as he enters the Sparetime Recreation area in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 25, 2023. Photo: AP

The Lewiston Police Department posted a photo showing the suspect pointing what appears to be a semi-automatic rifle, asking for the public's help in identifying him.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office also released a photo of the suspect, a bearded man wearing a brown hoodie and jeans holding a rifle in a shooting position.

“There is an active shooter in Lewiston. We are asking everyone to shelter in place. Please stay inside and lock your doors. Law enforcement is currently investigating multiple locations,” Maine State Police said on social media platform X.

The Sun Journal, citing a Lewiston police spokesman, reported shootings at three separate businesses: the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley, the Schengees Bar & Grille restaurant and a Walmart distribution center.

Maine Medical Center in Lewiston issued a statement saying it was “responding to a mass shooting, mass casualty” and coordinating with area hospitals to receive patients.

A US official said in Washington that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident and would continue to receive updates.

The White House said the US President spoke by phone privately with Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, as well as Congressman Jared Golden about the shooting in Lewiston and offered full federal support following the attack.

If the death toll of 22 is confirmed, it would be the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since August 2019, when a gunman opened fire on shoppers at an El Paso Walmart with an AK-47 rifle, killing 23 people in what prosecutors said was an anti-Hispanic crime, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The number of mass shootings in the US has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, with 647 occurring in 2022 and 679 expected to occur in 2023, based on trends through July.

The deadliest mass shooting in the US on record was the massacre of 58 people by a gunman who opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas from a high-rise hotel in 2017.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters, NBC News, AP)

Source