Governor Mills: We Will Help Lewiston Carry This Grief

Press Release

"Thank you for being here. As you may be able to hear, my voice is a little hoarse after working through the night last night.

As you know, last night, local, county, state, and federal law enforcement officers from across Maine responded to reports of an active shooter at multiple locations in Lewiston, including at Sparetime Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille.

These law enforcement officers, in the face of danger, responded swiftly, selflessly, and with great bravery -- bravery that they continue to demonstrate today as they search tirelessly for a person of interest in connection with last night's events. On behalf of all Maine people, I express my deep gratitude for your response and for your continued service. As I also do for Maine's hospitals and other medical emergency response.

I am profoundly saddened to stand before you today to report that 18 people were killed and 13 people were injured in last night's attacks. In memory of those we lost, and in honor of those who were injured, President Biden and I have ordered all U.S. and State of Maine flags to be lowered to half-staff immediately for the next five days.

Maine state police have issued a shelter in place order for Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin as the manhunt for that person of interest, Robert Card of Bowdoin, continues.

I will let law enforcement speak to the ongoing manhunt and to their investigation, but Card is considered armed and dangerous, and police advise that Maine people should not approach him under any circumstances.

I continue to strongly urge Maine people to follow the direction of State and local law enforcement amid this everchanging situation. Please, if you see anything suspicious, I urge you to call 911.

There are still many things that we do not yet know about these attacks, but the full weight of my Administration is behind law enforcement's efforts to capture the person of interest, Robert Card of Bowdoin; to hold whoever is responsible for this atrocity accountable under the full force of state and federal law; and to seek full justice for the victims and their families.

We are not, and we will not, rest in this endeavor.

My Administration is communicating and coordinating closely with local, regional, and federal officials to respond to this shooting. I have spoken twice with President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Becerra, all of whom called me last night to express the Biden Administration's unwavering support and to offer any and all help that we need moving forward.

The governors of our neighboring New England states and of other states have all contacted us to offer aid, and I am sincerely grateful to them.

We have been in touch with every member of Maine's Congressional Delegation who have all offered their full support, for which I am grateful.

I also called Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline and Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque last night to reiterate that we are standing by them and that we will deploy all available State resources, including grief counselors and other mental health services, to help our communities heal.

If you or a person you love needs someone to talk to during this difficult time, please call or text 988 for free and confidential counseling. That's 9-8-8.

Lewiston is a special place. It is a closeknit community with a long history of hard work, of persistence, of faith, of opening its big heart to people everywhere. Lewiston is where I worked for years, it's where I met and married my husband, Stan, and it's where the girls went to school.

I love this place, just as I love our whole state with my entire heart. I am so deeply saddened. This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security. No city does. No state. No people.

No words can truly or fully measure the grief of Maine people. Our small state, of just 1.3 million, has long been known as one of the safest states in the nation. This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear for this precious place we call home.

All Maine people are sharing in the sorrow of the families who lost loved ones last night, loved ones who were killed or injured while unwinding from a day at work or while spending time with their family and friends.

On behalf of the 1.3 million people in our state, I hold these families and this city in my heart today.

I know that the people of Lewiston are enduring immeasurable pain. I wish I could take that pain from you, but I promise you this, we will all help you carry this grief.

I ask Maine people to join me in offering our comfort to the families and friends who have lost someone and in offering our prayers for a swift recovery to the people who are healing in Maine hospitals today.

This is a dark day for Maine.

I know that it is hard for us to think about healing when our hearts are broken, but I want every person in Maine to know that we will heal together.

We are a resilient and caring people. In the days and weeks ahead, we will need to lean on those qualities more than ever before.

As we move forward, struggling as we may, let us wrap our arms around one another, offering comfort and solace and love.

I know the Maine State Police will continue to release information to the public as we confirm it and information about any steps that the public can take to support the people of Lewiston in this time.

May God bless the people of Lewiston and bless the memories of those we lost.

Thank you."

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