Hospitals and emergency responders in Maine are treating the victims of two mass shooting incidents that have left at least 18 dead and 13 injured in Lewiston on Oct. 25.
Police received a 911 call about an active shooter at a bowling alley in Lewiston at 6:56 p.m. ET. At about 7:08 p.m., police received multiple 911 calls about an active shooter at a bar in the city, Maine State Police Col. William Ross said during an Oct. 26 media briefing.
Seven people died at the bowling alley and eight people died at the bar from apparent gunshot wounds. Three other people were pronounced dead at local hospitals.
A manhunt is underway for Robert Card, 40, who has been labeled a person of interest in the case, according to the Lewiston Maine Police Department. As of 5:20 p.m. ET on Oct. 26, the city was still under a shelter in place order. Shelter in place orders were expanded to other nearby cities as the search for Mr. Card continues.
In response to the mass casualty event, Lewiston officials set up a triage center at a local National Guard facility, and rescue vehicles came from as far as 60 to 70 miles away to help with response efforts, Lewiston City Councilor Robert McCarthy told CNN.
Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center, both in Lewiston, called in all available staff to help with the response efforts. About 100 extra staff arrived at Central Maine Medical Center the night of Oct. 25, according to ABC affiliate WMUR. The hospital saw its first patient from the shooting at 7:24 p.m. ET and, over the next 45 minutes, received a total of 14 patients. Three individuals were pronounced dead, eight were admitted and two were discharged home, John Alexander, MD, chief medical officer and COO for Central Maine Healthcare, said during an Oct. 26 briefing.
Central Maine Medical Center serves as a hub for LifeFlight of Maine, the state's only medical helicopter service. Additional LifeFlight helicopters traveled to Lewiston from Bangor, Maine, to aid in any necessary transfers to other hospitals in the state.
"We had some heroic efforts by our team members last night, continuing into today," Dr. Alexander said. "I'd like to thank also all the hospitals, healthcare providers, EMS agencies and air service [in the state] … We had an outpouring of support and offers of assistance and again very much appreciate all those efforts."
The hospital transferred one patient to Portland-based Maine Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center and the largest hospital in the state. Another individual was taken directly to St. Mary's Regional Medical Center.
Of the eight patients admitted to Central Maine Medical Center, five are in stable condition and three are in critical condition. Dr. Alexander declined to share additional details about the patients' age, gender or nature of their injuries.
Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center have closed physician offices and canceled elective surgeries scheduled for Oct. 26. They are also restricting visitors due to Lewiston's shelter in place order. Heightened police presence was also seen at Central Maine Medical Center overnight, according to The New York Times.
Editor's note: This article was updated Oct. 26 at 4:20 p.m. CT to provide additional information.