REGION — Many businesses and schools chose to close on Thursday, Oct. 26, due to the shootings Wednesday evening in Lewiston.
According to Maine State Police, at least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in the shootings. A massive manhunt was underway and an arrest warrant has been issued for Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin. The arrest warrant is for eight counts of murder, state police said as officials have only identified eight or the 18 deceased victims. Once the remaining 10 are identified the warrant will be amended to include all. A shelter-in-place order remained in effect for all of Androscoggin County, with residents told to stay in their homes and keep doors locked.
Regional School Units 9 [Mt. Blue], 73 [Spruce Mountain], 78 [Rangeley] and Maine School Administrative District 58 [Mt. Abram] were all closed Thursday. Classes at University of Maine at Farmington were canceled, but staff was on campus.
All Hannaford stores in the state were closed until at least 10 a.m.
Thursday morning Amanda Simoneau, director of Franklin County Emergency Management said Superior Court in Farmington was under a shelter in place order with the doors locked. A buzzer was available should someone need to enter the building, she noted.
District Court in Farmington is on administrative this week, was probably closed, Simoneau said. She was told one person from the Department of Health and Human Services office was working from home Thursday, that the office was probably closed since all state offices were closed.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.