Topline
Police in Maine on Friday released the names and ages of the victims who were killed in a pair of shootings in the city of Lewiston this week, as local, state and federal law enforcement continues an expanding manhunt for the man suspected of killing 18 people in the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. so far this year.
Eighteen people were killed in a mass shooting this week in Lewiston, Maine.
Key Facts
Maine director of public safety Michael Sauschuck confirmed the names of the victims in a press conference Friday, with victims ranging in age from 14 to 73.
They include Ronald G. Morin, 55, Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40, Joshua A. Seal, 36, Brian M. MacFarlane, 41, Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57, Arthur Fred Strout, 42, Maxx A. Hathaway, 35, Steve Vozzella, 45, Thomas Ryan Conrad, 34, Michael Deslaurier II, 51, Jason Adam Walker, 51, Trisha Asselin, 53, William Young, 44, Aaron Young, 14, Robert E. Violette, 73, Lucille Violette, 73, William Bracket, 46, and Keith McNair, 64.
The manhunt for suspect Robert Card expanded beyond Lewiston into neighboring towns Thursday, while officials sent divers into the Androscoggin River on Friday morning near the spot where Card’s vehicle had been found days earlier.
Sauschuck said earlier Friday that authorities searching for Card remain unclear as to whether Card is still alive, or if his body might be in the river—authorities also found a note from Card appearing to indicate he did not expect to be discovered alive, according to an unnamed official who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity.
Key Background
Police said Card carried out the attacks at a bowling alley and nearby restaurant in Lewiston, a city of just over 30,000 residents in southern Maine. Card allegedly killed 18 people in the shootings—the deadliest shooting in the U.S. this year. Police issued an arrest warrant for Card on eight counts of murder, saying the number of counts will likely increase as more victims are identified.
Big Number
602. That’s how many people died in mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, the most at this point in the year in at least 10 years, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which has tracked mass shootings since 2014 (the GVA defines a mass shooting as an event in which at least four people are killed or wounded, not including the gunman).
Further Reading
Maine Shooting: Divers Sent Into River As Search For Suspect Robert Card Expands (Forbes)
More Than 600 Killed In U.S. Mass Shootings This Year—Highest In Years (Forbes)
Maine Shooting Victims Identified By Loved Ones As Manhunt Continues (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/10/27/maine-police-identify-all-lewiston-shooting-victims-who-ranged-from-age-14-to-73/