At least 16 dead in Maine shooting and dozens injured

A man opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston Maine on Wednesday night killing at least 16 people and engulfing the states secondlargest city in chaos The suspect remained at large as authorities ordered residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streetsTwo law enforcement officials told The Associated Press dozens of people also had been wounded The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymityLewiston Police said in an earlier Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Sparetime Recreation a bowling alley about 4 miles 64 kilometers away The Androscoggin County Sheriffs Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed a gunman walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulderPlease stay off the roads to allow emergency responders access to the hospitals police saidOn its website Central Maine Medical Center said staff were reacting to a mass casualty mass shooter event and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients A woman who answered the phone in the emergency department said no further information could be released and that the hospital itself was on lockdownMelinda Small the owner of Legends Sports Bar and Grill said her staff immediately locked their doors and moved all 25 customers and employees away from the doors after a customer reported hearing about the shooting at the bowling alley less than a quartermile away around 7 pm Soon the police flooded the roadway and a police officer eventually escorted everyone out of the building four at a time Everyone in the bar is safeI am honestly in a state of shock I am blessed that my team responded quickly and everyone is safe Small told The Associated Press But the same time my heart is broken for this area and for what everyone is dealing with I just feel numbThe alert for Lewiston was made shortly after 8 pm as the sheriffs office reported that law enforcement agencies were investigating two active shooter events Officials issued an update around 10 pm for what they described as a manhuntAvoid the area until authorities give the allclear the statement said Seek alternative routes to circumvent the area and any disruptions If already operating in the affected region adhere to all instructions issued by local officials including the shelterinplace orderWe are encouraging all businesses to lock down and or close while we investigate the sheriffs office reportedA spokesperson for Maine Department of Public Safety urged residents to stay in their homes with their doors lockedLaw enforcement is currently investigating at two locations right now Shannon Moss said Again please stay off the streets and allow law enforcement to diffuse the situationGov Janet Mills released a statement echoing those instructions She said she has been briefed on the situation and will remain in close contact with public safety officials The White House said President Joe Biden also had been briefedLewiston about 35 miles 56 kilometers north of Portland emerged as a major center for African immigration into Maine The Somali population which numbers in the thousands has changed the demographics of the once overwhelmingly white mill city into one of the most diverse in northern New EnglandAnge Amores a spokesperson for the city of Lewiston said city officials are not commenting on the shooting Amores said Maine State Police were planning to hold a news conference likely at city hall to update the public on Wednesday nightMaine Sen Angus King an independent said he was deeply sad for the city of Lewiston and all those worried about their family friends and neighbors and was monitoring the situation Kings office said the senator would be headed directly home to Maine once the Senates final vote is held Thursday afternoonThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever