Robert Card, who is wanted by police in Maine following the deadliest mass shooting in the state’s history, previously threatened to carry out a gun attack at a US Army base, authorities say.
Details have begun to emerge about the 40-year-old suspect at the centre of a huge manhunt following shootings at a restaurant and bowling alley in Lewiston on Wednesday night.
The exact number of fatalities is not known at this stage but officials have said at least 22 people have been killed and dozens more injured after the gunman opened fire.
According to a US intelligence document, Card, who has been described by police as “armed and dangerous”, is a military-trained firearms instructor who has recently undergone mental health treatment.
Hundreds of officers are now scouring the state for Card
A bulletin concerning Card was circulated to law enforcement officials on Wednesday after the shootings.
It stated that Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer but did not provide specific details about his treatment or condition.
According to the document, Card also reported hearing voices and had threatened to carry out a shooting at the military training base in Saco, Maine.
Hundreds of officers are now scouring the state for Card.
Mike Sauschuck, a Maine public safety official, told reporters: “He is a person of interest, however, and that’s what we’ll label them as moving forward until that changes. If people see him, they should not approach Card or make contact with him in any way.
“We have literally hundreds of police officers working around the state of Maine to investigate this case, to locate Mr Card, who, again, is a person of interest, and a person of interest only.”
A white SUV linked to Card has been abandoned at a boat launch on the Androscoggin river in Lisbon Falls.
An order for residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets of the city of 37,000 was extended Wednesday night from Lewiston to Lisbon, about 8 miles (13 kilometres) away, after the vehicle was discovered.
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