On October 25, 2023, the city of Lewiston, Maine, became the site of a tragic mass shooting that unfolded across two primary locations: Just-In-Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille. The events led to a significant loss of life and prompted an immediate, widespread response from law enforcement and emergency services. This incident marked the deadliest shooting in Maine's history and ranked as the tenth-deadliest in U.S. history, leaving a profound
impact on the community and initiating a large-scale manhunt for the perpetrator.
The Initial Attacks: Just-In-Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille
The sequence of events began shortly after 6:02 p.m. local time when Robert Card departed his home in Bowdoin. His first target was Sparetime Recreation, also known as Just-In-Time Recreation, a family restaurant and bowling alley. Card entered the establishment at 6:54 p.m., opening fire with a Ruger SFAR .308 rifle. Within a span of 45 seconds, he fired 18 shots, killing eight people and injuring three others. At the time of the shooting, approximately 60 individuals were present, including 20 children. The attack caused a stampede, leading to additional injuries among those attempting to flee.
Approximately one minute later, at 6:55 p.m., Card left Sparetime Recreation. He then drove about four miles to Schemengees Bar & Grille, arriving at 7:07 p.m. Over the next 78 seconds, Card fired 36 shots, resulting in the deaths of 10 people and injuries to 10 others. During this attack, one man attempted to disarm Card with a knife but was killed. At 7:08 p.m., Card exited Schemengees, and staff members quickly turned off the lights to deter further violence. Police, fire, and rescue personnel arrived at Sparetime Recreation around 7:15 p.m. after receiving reports of an active shooter. Soon after, reports of a second shooting at Schemengees Bar & Grille emerged.
Community Alert and Manhunt
Following the initial reports, the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office and Maine State Police issued alerts to residents about an active shooter around 8:00 p.m. They released images of the shooter, described as a white male, and a white 2013 Subaru Outback linked to the shootings, urging the public to consider him "armed and dangerous." The Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston began coordinating with local hospitals to manage the influx of casualties, preparing for a "mass casualty, mass shooting event."
In response to the ongoing threat, a shelter-in-place order was issued for Lewiston, and schools were closed. A separate shelter-in-place order was also put in place for Auburn, located about three miles from Lewiston. The FBI provided assistance to local authorities in the investigation. Classes at the Maine Community College System and Lewiston public schools were canceled for the following day. Bates College also postponed its presidential inauguration, which had been scheduled for October 27, until further notice. The extensive manhunt for Robert Card concluded 49 hours later, on October 27, when Maine State Police found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a tractor-trailer near a recycling center in Lisbon, Maine, where he had recently been employed.
