What happened during the Maine shootings last night? A timeline of the tragedy

Eighteen people are dead after mass shootings at a bowling alley and restaurant Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine, the state's governor said in a news conference Thursday morning. Another 13 people were injured. 

Multiple shelter-in-place warnings were issued in the region as police continued searching for the suspect on Thursday, officials said. The man initially deemed a person of interest in the case, 40-year-old Robert Card, now has a warrant out for his arrest on eight counts of murder, and officials said more charges may be filed. Card is from Bowdoin, from a town just east of Lewiston.

Here's a timeline of the shooting and what we know about the ongoing manhunt:

Shooter arrives at bowling alley, restaurant 

According to Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck, the shootings began shortly before 7 p.m. 

Colonel William Ross, with the Maine State Police, said at a news conference Thursday that authorities received a 911 call reporting a man shooting at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley, at 6:56 p.m. One man at the bowling alley said he heard about 10 shots.

At 7:08 p.m., dispatchers received multiple 911 calls reporting an active shooter inside Schemengees Bar and Grille, Ross said. The two businesses appear to be about 4 miles away from each other.

Maine Governor Janet Mills said at the news conference that in total, 18 people were killed and 13 injured. 

Ross said that at the bowling alley, seven people were killed — one woman and seven men. All eight appear to have died from gunshot wounds, he said. At the restaurant, eight people were killed — seven men inside the restaurant, and one outside, also from apparent gunshot wounds, he said.

Multiple people were transferred to area hospitals from both scenes, and three of those people also died, Ross said. 

Ross said that identifications of those killed are ongoing, with eight people identified so far.

Police warn of active shooter, issue shelter-in-place warning

At 8:06 p.m., Maine State Police said on Facebook that "there is an active shooter situation in the city of Lewiston," and said that people are being asked to shelter in place and stay inside their homes with the doors locked. 

At 8:53 p.m., the Lewiston Police Department said on Facebook that they were "dealing with an active shooter incident" at the restaurant and bowling alley. They asked that residents of the area "stay off the roads to allow emergency responders access to the hospitals." 

Police release surveillance images showing armed person 

The Lewiston Police Department released images showing a person holding a semiautomatic rifle at 9:05 p.m. The three photos, shared on social media, show the person wearing a brown shirt, dark pants and light shoes. The person is not identified, and police asked that anyone who could identify the person to call authorities. 

"Vehicle of interest" found 8 miles away 

The Lewiston Police Department shared a surveillance photo of a white vehicle on social media at 9:17 p.m. In the post, police said the front bumper of the car might be painted black, and asked that anyone who sees the car call the authorities. 

At 11:57 p.m., Maine State Police said on social media that the car, which they called a "vehicle of interest," had been found in Lisbon, a town about 8 miles away from Lewiston. 

According to previous reporting from CBS News, the car appears to match a description from the law enforcement bulletin about a vehicle Card was known to have been driving.

Police said in a bulletin released on Thursday morning and reviewed by CBS News that the vehicle of interest was a white Subaru Outback with a black bumper. The car is registered in Maine.

Police name Robert Card as person of interest, then a suspect 

The Lewiston Police Department shared a photo of Card on social media at 10:52 p.m. and said he was a "person of interest" in the shootings. Police noted that Card should be considered "armed and dangerous" and asked that anyone who sees him contact officials. 

At 11:57 p.m., the Maine State Police said that authorities were "currently searching" for Card. 

"If seen, people should not approach Card or make contact with him," the department said. 

According to a Maine law enforcement bulletin seen by CBS News, Card is enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. CBS News confirmed that he is a Petroleum Supply Specialist in the Army Reserve, and has seen no combat deployments since enlisting in 2002. Card had recently reported mental health issues, including hearing voices, and had threatened to shoot up the National Guard base in Saco, according to the law enforcement bulletin. He has an active military ID, which allows him access to military bases. 

Card was reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this summer, according to the bulletin. 

Card has connections to Massachusetts, according to CBS News Boston sources, although the exact nature of his ties to the state were not immediately clear. Massachusetts State Police and federal agents were staged at the Maine border, with others staged along the New Hampshire border, as a precaution. Canada's Border Services Agency issued an "armed and dangerous" alert to its officers along the U.S.-Canada border, according to the Canadian Press.

Ross said that the vehicle of interest is registered to Card. According to the bulletin, Card has two other vehicles registered to him: a 2022 Yamaha motorcycle and a 2019 Sea Doo green boat. Both are registered in Maine.

In their news conference Thursday morning, officials referred to Card as a suspect and said murder charges are being filed.

Ross, the colonel with the Maine State Police, said that an arrest warrant charging Card with eight counts of murder has been issued. Ross said more counts will likely be added as the victims are identified. 

Shelter in place is expanded 

In the 11:57 p.m. post, the Maine State Police said the shelter in place order was being extended to Lisbon, where the vehicle of interest was found, because police in the area were looking for Card. 

At 6:13 a.m. on Thursday morning, the state police said they are expanding the shelter in place to include the town of Bowdoin, Maine, where Card is from. 

The city of Auburn, which borders Lewiston, has also advised residents to shelter in place. 

Numerous schools in the area are closed, according to CBS affiliate WGME-TV, including in Portland, Maine. 

In the Thursday morning news conference, Lewiston Police Chief David St. Pierre asked that "the public to continue to be mindful of their own personal safety." 

On Thursday afternoon, the Maine Emergency Management Agency tweeted that the shelter-in-place advisory was being extended to Androscoggin County and northern Sagadahoc County.

As the massive manhunt for the suspect continued, the police chief in Lisbon, Maine, just a few miles from Lewiston, advised people to contact authorities if they see anything suspicious in their areas. 

"If something isn't right, if you look out in your yard and you're like, that door wasn't open or, you know, that trailer wasn't positioned that way, if you see anything suspicious, please call us because that's how we're going to be able to work together and be able to get to the bottom of this," Lisbon Police Chief Ryan McGee said.

In:
• Shooting
• Mass Shooting
• Maine

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.