After a mass shooting that left 18 dead in the US state of Maine, police are continuing to search for the shooter with a large number. On Thursday evening (local time), numerous police cars arrived in front of the suspect’s house in the small town of Bowdoin, about 30 kilometers away from the two crime scenes. Officers combed several properties. Helicopters and the coast guard were also deployed. It is not known whether the suspect is in one of the houses searched, police said.
There is a state of emergency in the region. The police warned residents urgently about the fugitive and called on people not to leave their homes. The shooter had been in a recreation center with bowling alleys and in the restaurant on Wednesday evening Schemegees Bar and Grille opened fire in the small town of Lewiston. He killed seven people at the first crime scene and eight people at the second. Three other victims died in hospital shortly after the crime. Another 13 people were injured. The perpetrator’s motive was not known the day after. A survivor who lost her sister in the bloody crime told CNN: “We were bowling and heard a big bang.” At first she wasn’t sure what was going on. But then she heard several shots. “I ran as far as I could.”
About ten kilometers from Lewiston, the police found the car they were looking for, a small white SUV. The police identified 40-year-old reserve soldier Robert C. as the suspected perpetrator. According to American media, he reported for military service in 2002 but did not complete any combat missions. He studied engineering technology, but did not graduate. The newspaper also reported that the man’s behavior seemed strange to colleagues a few months ago. He is said to have been under psychiatric treatment for two weeks. The suspect’s family is cooperating with the police. The man’s sister is said to have told investigators, according to ABC broadcaster, that she believed her brother was looking for an ex-girlfriend at the crime scenes. He and his ex-girlfriend often went to the leisure center and the barbecue restaurant.
The search for the fugitive is also very difficult because the rural area is only sparsely populated. According to colleagues, the man is said to be experienced in moving around the terrain. Hundreds of police officers are combing the area.
Maine’s mass shooting is the deadliest in the U.S. since the Robb Elementary School shooting last May. Because of the gun laws there, rampages and fatal shootings are sadly part of everyday life. This repeatedly leads to discussions about tightening gun laws, but so far without any real result. As a rule, stricter rules fail because of the Republicans and the powerful gun lobby.