The Ocean Avenue News - oceanavenuenews.comThe post ‘Need to free Ukraine’: more Russian Putin opponents take up arms – South China Morning Post first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
The United States does not have the right to get involved in problems between China and the Philippines, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday at a regular press briefing.
“The U.S. is not party to the South China Sea issue, it has no right to get involved in a problem between China and the Philippines,” said ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in addressing a question on the US saying it will defend the Philippines.
“The U.S. promise of defending the Philippines must not hurt China’s sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea, and it also must not enable and encourage the illegal claims of the Philippines,” Mao said.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday at the White House that America’s commitment to Philippines defense remains “iron-clad,” after accusing China of acting “dangerously and unlawfully” in the South China Sea.
“Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke … our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines,” Biden said in remarks during a joint meeting with Australia’s prime minister.
China and the Philippines recently have had several high-profile skirmishes in the South China Sea, most notably in disputed waters around the Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands.
Last Sunday, a Chinese vessel collided with a Philippine boat, with Manila condemning “in the strongest degree” the “dangerous blocking manoeuvres” of the vessel.
The post China says US has no right to get involved in problems between it and Philippines first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
The exercises came hours after Moscow edged closer to revoking its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty which outlaws all nuclear detonations.
The post EXPLAINED: Russia Just Held a ‘Massive’ Retaliatory Nuclear Strike Drill – Here’s What it Means first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
The Kremlin’s electoral strategy is to use schools and families to boost Putin’s approval ratings to secure the optimum result for his (already assured) victory in next year’s Russian election.
The post Kremlin Introduces Lottery to Ensure Putin Gets Best Ever Result in 2024 Election first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
Josh Paul, who until last week was the director of congressional and public affairs at the State Department’s bureau that handles arms transfers and security assistance to foreign governments, quit in protest over policies that he said amount to a green light for Israeli retaliation regardless of the toll on civilians.
The State Department did not directly comment on Paul’s resignation, saying it was a personnel matter. In a letter to staff, Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the personal difficulties some are facing.
Paul spoke with White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara about what he said was a lack of responsible debate in his former office on providing Israel with weapons to fight its war in Gaza and how he believes it undermines U.S. strategic interests and values.
This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
VOA: Why did you resign?
Paul: I resigned because I felt that we were in the midst of major policy decisions concerning arms transfers to Israel, but they were not receiving the attention needed and typically received on human rights concerns, civilian casualties’ concerns, in the context of the conflict that we’re currently seeing in Gaza.
VOA: What happened after Oct. 7?
Paul: Very quickly after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas — which, let me be clear, was an absolute atrocity and should be condemned and Israel does have a right to respond to — we started to receive requests from Israel for a large variety of munitions.
Typically, when we receive such requests from partners, there’s going to be a policy process where we look at the partner’s track record on human rights, we look at other factors including risks of civilian harm. There’s a Conventional Arms Transfer Policy that guides these decisions, which says that arms shall not be transferred when there is a more likely than not risk that they will be used for human rights violations.
As the Israeli operation in Gaza started with a massive bombardment, we could already see hundreds and then thousands of Palestinian civilians dying. And yet there was no policy debate, no questions about whether we were going to pause and take into account our regular policies and legal requirements. It was just, “let’s rush these arms to Israel as quickly as we can, and consequences be damned.”
VOA: That was an explicit directive? Your superiors at the State Department say that we do not have time for debate, we want everybody to agree on this?
Paul: That’s correct.
VOA: Was there an explanation when you protested?
Paul: I don’t think an explanation was needed. The understanding was this is Israel. This is a special case. This is how the administration is approaching it. That was made apparent not only internally, but externally with the immediate reaction from the White House to Israel and its response to the attacks.
VOA: You worked in that bureau for 11 years. Has there ever been other instances where the decision to send weapons occurred without debate?
Paul: No, there’s always been debates. And let me be clear, I’m not inherently opposed to the transfer of U.S. arms. There are instances in which they do a lot of good, in Ukraine, in support to other allies in Europe. But even in those circumstances, even for our closest allies, if there is hint controversy, it is always discussed.
VOA: Even before this Hamas attack, we sent $3 billion to $4 billion [in military aid] to Israel annually. Has it helped Israeli security? Has it helped regional stability?
Paul: I don’t think it has. I’m all for Israelis to live in peace and security, as I am for Palestinians to live in peace and security. The problem is that we have assumed the obstacle to a lasting political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a lack of Israeli security, and if Israel feels more secure then it will be able to make the concessions that it needs to allow a Palestinian state to emerge.
The problem with the blanket of U.S. security and the unquestioning nature of it, Israel feels free to push the envelope, to expand settlements in the West Bank, to build the security barriers across the West Bank, to continue the siege of Gaza. … Our security systems have, in the long term, not made Israel more secure.
VOA: Many in the Arab world and the global south see U.S. backing of Israel as part of this idea that the U.S. applies double standards in its foreign policy. Would you care to comment on that?
Paul: That’s a really important point. This administration rightly sees strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China as the driving, most concerning aspects of international relations. In that conflict, the United States has three edges: military strength, our global network of alliances and partnerships, and our values.
Our posture on Israel is significantly undermining that strategic competition by raising questions about our values. How is the United States any different from any other country in the world if it’s willing to walk away from its values when it is politically expedient? It does us not only moral harm, I think it does us strategic harm as well.
VOA: The administration is now trying to balance the support for Israel and humanitarian concerns as well as stop the conflict from broadening. This is a tough balancing act for the president. What is your message to him?
Paul: I fully agree that broadening the conflict would be a disaster for everyone involved, and I am heartened for the focus the administration has put on that, including through deploying carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean. It sends a strong message.
I think part of preventing the conflict from widening is also minimizing civilian casualties in Gaza. I think the more Palestinian civilians are killed, the harder it will be for stability in other countries, in other parts of the region. So, if we want regional stability, if we don’t want this conflict to expand, we need to make sure that it ends as quickly as possible and is carried out as carefully as possible with regards to civilian harm.
VOA: You’re making that link between civilian casualties in Gaza to broader regional instability because of the anger of populations in the Arab world?
Paul: We’ve seen the impact on U.S. reputational damage and diplomatic damage that Israel’s response has already cost us in the region. There are consequences to U.S. strategic interests both in the region and around the world. And I think we need to be cognizant of that.
I think that there is a disconnect between the political level in the U.S. and the civil service and American population. I do hope that over time there can be a sea-change at the political level that brings it more in line with what the American people can expect from our foreign policy.
The post US Diplomat Resigns in Protest Over Arms Transfer to Israel first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
A law enforcement officer carries a rifle outside Central Maine Medical Center during an active shooter situation, in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25. Steven Senne/APAn intensive manhunt is underway in Maine after two mass shootings left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured on Wednesday night.
Here’s what we know so far:
This post has been updated with more details on the “person of interest.”
1 min ago
A road sign reads ‘Shelter in Place’ after a man reportedly opened fire killing and injuring numerous people in downtown Lewiston, Maine, on October 25. CJ GUNTHER/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockLewiston, Maine, is a small city — with a population of just 38,493 people as of last year, according to the US Census.
It’s home to Bates College, a private liberal arts school, and is regularly ranked as one of America’s safest cities.
“We know that these events have shocked and frightened our community. And we grieve for those whose lives were tragically lost in this heinous act of violence,” Bates College said in a statement late Wednesday, referring to the mass shooting.
Lewiston is the second biggest city in Maine, after Portland, and sits on the banks of the Androscoggin River.
And though Maine is the whitest state in the nation, according to the 2020 census, immigrant communities have grown in size recently, as well as in other states including Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington.
Between 2017 and 2021, more than 7% of Lewiston residents were foreign-born, according to the census — still lower than the national average of nearly 14%. And in those years, 19% of Lewiston residents spoke a language other than English at home.
1 hr 2 min ago
From CNN’s Chris Boyette and Joe Sutton
As police continue to search for a person of interest involved in the Lewiston shootings, which left at least 22 dead Wednesday night, local schools have announced they will cancel classes on Thursday.
“There remains a lot of unknowns at this time. Information moves quickly but not always accurately. Please continue to shelter in place or get to safety. We will continue to update you with information and next steps as appropriate,” Lewiston Public Schools said in a post.
“Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them. Our prayers go out to those who lost someone tonight. Our prayers go out to all those working to stop further loss of life.”
A number of other nearby schools and districts also announced they would be closed or have classes canceled on Thursday:
1 hr 16 min ago
From CNN’s Sharif Paget
Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday, October 25. Robert F. Bukaty/APTown offices in Lisbon, which neighbors Lewiston, Maine, where the shootings took place Wednesday night, will be closed on Thursday as a manhunt continues for the suspect in two mass shootings.
“Law enforcement in Androscoggin County are investigating two active shooter events. All town offices will be closed on October 26th. Please prioritize safety and continue to shelter in place,” the town website said.
The vehicle connected to Robert Card, identified by police as a person of interest, was located in Lisbon Wednesday night, according to Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck.
1 hr 11 min ago
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Jason Levesque speaks during an interview. WGMEWitnesses of the shootings in Lewiston were of all ages, including teenagers, said Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque, adding that the community was in shock.
Auburn is a city less than 2 miles west of Lewiston.
Speaking to media outside a reunification center, Levesque said there was a lot of fear, panic and worry among residents there.
“You can train for this but you can never be completely prepared,” Levesque said. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation.”
Speaking to CNN later that night, Levesque said he wasn’t aware of any children among those killed — but knows one high school student who was wounded.
“Auburn and Lewiston are side by side … a river separates us. Combined, our population is around 60,000. You cannot help but know people who know someone, so this will impact every corner of our community,” he said.
He described hearing more about what unfolded Wednesday night from eyewitnesses at the reunification center, including one man who was playing the lawn game cornhole when he heard “a couple pops … but didn’t think anything of it, it is Halloween. Then he started seeing everybody scream and move.”
Authorities across Maine are involved in the ongoing manhunt, with 40-year-old Robert Card identified as a person of interest.
This post has been updated with more comments from the mayor
1 hr 55 min ago
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Mike Sauschuck, Commissioner of the Department of Safety, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, October 25. WMURA vehicle of interest was located in Lisbon, Maine, Mike Sauschuck, state commissioner for the Department of Public Safety, said during a news briefing Wednesday night.
Lisbon is about 8 miles southeast of the city of Lewiston, where the shooting unfolded earlier Wednesday.
Residents in Lisbon and Lewiston are being told to shelter in place as the manhunt for a person of interest, Robert Card, continues, he said.
Hundreds of officers continue to search for Card as he remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, Sauschuck said.
Sauschuck noted the shootings began around 6:56 p.m. ET on Wednesday evening and there were multiple locations involved.
2 hr 15 min ago
This picture shows a victim on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance by first responders in Lewiston, Maine. Nichoel Wyman ArelAn eyewitness said that she saw “definitely more than a dozen” people leaving the bowling alley where one of the shootings in Lewiston, Maine, happened Wednesday evening.
Nichoel Wyman Arel described a large police and ambulance presence outside of Sparetime Recreation following the deadly incident. Arel said she saw officers patting people down as they came out of the bowling alley.
Arel was driving home with a friend from Girl Scouts when they came across the tragic scene. Arel captured footage of people being patted down and leaving the bowling alley.
She saw a person who looked like they “had blood all over them” but couldn’t tell if they were injured themselves. “It’s all kind of a blur. I wasn’t really taking in a lot of the details,” Arel said.
Arel also said that she saw children on the scene with their families.
“Yeah, there were kids, that’s — Like, looking back, like that was probably the hardest part, seeing — just families, families pouring out of there and knowing that that happened in there while they were probably just trying to have a family night,” Arel told CNN.
Arel’s young daughter was with her when she witnessed the aftermath of the shooting.
“She was definitely scared. She’s like — she started crying and said, ‘This is a scary world we live in mom.’ I’m like, ‘I know.’”
When she got home, Arel said that she locked up the house, including windows. She owns a firearm which she said made her daughter “feel better to know that I was carrying it around.”
Arel said that her daughter “was scared somebody was going to come into our home.”
Lewiston residents are being told to continue to shelter in place.
3 hr 6 min ago
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Lewiston Police Department identified Robert Card as a person of interest involved in the Lewiston shooting. Lewiston Police DepartmentThe Lewiston Police Department has identified Robert Card as a person of interest in the two shootings in Lewiston.
Card is 40 years old and should be “considered armed and dangerous,” according a Facebook post from the Lewiston Police Department.
Law enforcement officials in Maine describe Card as a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserves.
Here’s the full statement from Lewiston Police:
“Law Enforcement is attempting to locate Robert Card 4/4/1983, as a person of interest regarding the mass shooting at Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation this evening. CARD should be considered armed and dangerous. Please contact law enforcement if you are aware of his whereabouts.”
The New Hampshire State Police is assisting in the search for Card, including the use of its helicopter, state police spokesperson Amber Lagace said.
CNN’s Joe Sutton contributed reporting to this post.
3 hr 46 min ago
From CNN’s Donald Judd
Joe Biden attends a conference at the White House in Washington D.C., on October 25. Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden spoke by phone with a number of Maine lawmakers in the wake of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, the White House press office told pool Wednesday.
“The President spoke by phone individually to Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, and Congressman Jared Golden about the shooting in Lewiston, Maine and offered full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” the White House said in a statement.
The post At least 22 killed in Maine shootings first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
A law enforcement officer carries a rifle outside Central Maine Medical Center during an active shooter situation, in Lewiston, Maine, on October 25. Steven Senne/APAn intensive manhunt is underway in Maine after two mass shootings left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured on Wednesday night.
Here’s what we know so far:
This post has been updated with more details on the “person of interest.”
1 min ago
A road sign reads ‘Shelter in Place’ after a man reportedly opened fire killing and injuring numerous people in downtown Lewiston, Maine, on October 25. CJ GUNTHER/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockLewiston, Maine, is a small city — with a population of just 38,493 people as of last year, according to the US Census.
It’s home to Bates College, a private liberal arts school, and is regularly ranked as one of America’s safest cities.
“We know that these events have shocked and frightened our community. And we grieve for those whose lives were tragically lost in this heinous act of violence,” Bates College said in a statement late Wednesday, referring to the mass shooting.
Lewiston is the second biggest city in Maine, after Portland, and sits on the banks of the Androscoggin River.
And though Maine is the whitest state in the nation, according to the 2020 census, immigrant communities have grown in size recently, as well as in other states including Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington.
Between 2017 and 2021, more than 7% of Lewiston residents were foreign-born, according to the census — still lower than the national average of nearly 14%. And in those years, 19% of Lewiston residents spoke a language other than English at home.
1 hr 2 min ago
From CNN’s Chris Boyette and Joe Sutton
As police continue to search for a person of interest involved in the Lewiston shootings, which left at least 22 dead Wednesday night, local schools have announced they will cancel classes on Thursday.
“There remains a lot of unknowns at this time. Information moves quickly but not always accurately. Please continue to shelter in place or get to safety. We will continue to update you with information and next steps as appropriate,” Lewiston Public Schools said in a post.
“Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them. Our prayers go out to those who lost someone tonight. Our prayers go out to all those working to stop further loss of life.”
A number of other nearby schools and districts also announced they would be closed or have classes canceled on Thursday:
1 hr 16 min ago
From CNN’s Sharif Paget
Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday, October 25. Robert F. Bukaty/APTown offices in Lisbon, which neighbors Lewiston, Maine, where the shootings took place Wednesday night, will be closed on Thursday as a manhunt continues for the suspect in two mass shootings.
“Law enforcement in Androscoggin County are investigating two active shooter events. All town offices will be closed on October 26th. Please prioritize safety and continue to shelter in place,” the town website said.
The vehicle connected to Robert Card, identified by police as a person of interest, was located in Lisbon Wednesday night, according to Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck.
1 hr 11 min ago
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Jason Levesque speaks during an interview. WGMEWitnesses of the shootings in Lewiston were of all ages, including teenagers, said Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque, adding that the community was in shock.
Auburn is a city less than 2 miles west of Lewiston.
Speaking to media outside a reunification center, Levesque said there was a lot of fear, panic and worry among residents there.
“You can train for this but you can never be completely prepared,” Levesque said. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation.”
Speaking to CNN later that night, Levesque said he wasn’t aware of any children among those killed — but knows one high school student who was wounded.
“Auburn and Lewiston are side by side … a river separates us. Combined, our population is around 60,000. You cannot help but know people who know someone, so this will impact every corner of our community,” he said.
He described hearing more about what unfolded Wednesday night from eyewitnesses at the reunification center, including one man who was playing the lawn game cornhole when he heard “a couple pops … but didn’t think anything of it, it is Halloween. Then he started seeing everybody scream and move.”
Authorities across Maine are involved in the ongoing manhunt, with 40-year-old Robert Card identified as a person of interest.
This post has been updated with more comments from the mayor
1 hr 55 min ago
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Mike Sauschuck, Commissioner of the Department of Safety, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, October 25. WMURA vehicle of interest was located in Lisbon, Maine, Mike Sauschuck, state commissioner for the Department of Public Safety, said during a news briefing Wednesday night.
Lisbon is about 8 miles southeast of the city of Lewiston, where the shooting unfolded earlier Wednesday.
Residents in Lisbon and Lewiston are being told to shelter in place as the manhunt for a person of interest, Robert Card, continues, he said.
Hundreds of officers continue to search for Card as he remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, Sauschuck said.
Sauschuck noted the shootings began around 6:56 p.m. ET on Wednesday evening and there were multiple locations involved.
2 hr 15 min ago
This picture shows a victim on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance by first responders in Lewiston, Maine. Nichoel Wyman ArelAn eyewitness said that she saw “definitely more than a dozen” people leaving the bowling alley where one of the shootings in Lewiston, Maine, happened Wednesday evening.
Nichoel Wyman Arel described a large police and ambulance presence outside of Sparetime Recreation following the deadly incident. Arel said she saw officers patting people down as they came out of the bowling alley.
Arel was driving home with a friend from Girl Scouts when they came across the tragic scene. Arel captured footage of people being patted down and leaving the bowling alley.
She saw a person who looked like they “had blood all over them” but couldn’t tell if they were injured themselves. “It’s all kind of a blur. I wasn’t really taking in a lot of the details,” Arel said.
Arel also said that she saw children on the scene with their families.
“Yeah, there were kids, that’s — Like, looking back, like that was probably the hardest part, seeing — just families, families pouring out of there and knowing that that happened in there while they were probably just trying to have a family night,” Arel told CNN.
Arel’s young daughter was with her when she witnessed the aftermath of the shooting.
“She was definitely scared. She’s like — she started crying and said, ‘This is a scary world we live in mom.’ I’m like, ‘I know.’”
When she got home, Arel said that she locked up the house, including windows. She owns a firearm which she said made her daughter “feel better to know that I was carrying it around.”
Arel said that her daughter “was scared somebody was going to come into our home.”
Lewiston residents are being told to continue to shelter in place.
3 hr 6 min ago
From CNN’s Sara Smart
Lewiston Police Department identified Robert Card as a person of interest involved in the Lewiston shooting. Lewiston Police DepartmentThe Lewiston Police Department has identified Robert Card as a person of interest in the two shootings in Lewiston.
Card is 40 years old and should be “considered armed and dangerous,” according a Facebook post from the Lewiston Police Department.
Law enforcement officials in Maine describe Card as a certified firearms instructor and a member of the US Army Reserves.
Here’s the full statement from Lewiston Police:
“Law Enforcement is attempting to locate Robert Card 4/4/1983, as a person of interest regarding the mass shooting at Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation this evening. CARD should be considered armed and dangerous. Please contact law enforcement if you are aware of his whereabouts.”
The New Hampshire State Police is assisting in the search for Card, including the use of its helicopter, state police spokesperson Amber Lagace said.
CNN’s Joe Sutton contributed reporting to this post.
3 hr 46 min ago
From CNN’s Donald Judd
Joe Biden attends a conference at the White House in Washington D.C., on October 25. Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden spoke by phone with a number of Maine lawmakers in the wake of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, the White House press office told pool Wednesday.
“The President spoke by phone individually to Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Angus King and Susan Collins, and Congressman Jared Golden about the shooting in Lewiston, Maine and offered full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” the White House said in a statement.
The post At least 22 killed in Maine shootings first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
The announcement, though, was part of historic mateship, as the Australian PM said to the US President: “When there’s an Australian with you, they’ll always have your back.”
The post Australia’s High-Tech Support: 3D Printers for Ukraine’s Battlefields and 5th Generation Radars for Its Skies first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
By Jordan Freiman
Updated on: October 26, 2023 / 12:39 AM / CBS News
At least 16 people were killed in shootings in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday night, multiple law enforcement officials told CBS News, but they indicated the death toll could be higher than 20.
Multiple sources said at least 50 people were injured, but it was unclear how many had been shot. A suspect was still at large, police said.
Maine public safety commissioner Mike Sauschuck said at a news conference late Wednesday night, “I don’t have firm numbers” on the number of people killed.
Authorities are attempting to locate 40-year-old Robert Card as a person of interest in the shootings, the Lewiston Police Department said in a Facebook post late Wednesday night. He is considered armed and dangerous.
According to a Maine law enforcement bulletin seen by CBS News, Card is a trained firearms instructor believed to be in the Army reserve stationed out of Saco, Maine.
He recently reported mental health issues, including hearing voices, according to the bulletin. He had also threatened to shoot up the National Guard base in Saco, Maine, the bulletin said, and he was reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this summer.
A vehicle belonging to Card was recovered by police in Lisbon, Maine, which was then placed on lockdown Sauschuck said. Lisbon is about seven miles southeast of Lewiston.
The shootings began shortly before 7 p.m., Sauschuck said. Maine State Police said shortly after 8 p.m. ET it was investigating “multiple locations” and asked people to shelter in place.
“Please stay inside your home with the doors locked,” Maine State Police wrote on social media.
Lewiston police said it responded to two locations, a restaurant called Schemengee and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley. The two locations appear to be about a 10-minute drive from each other.
Police shared images of a suspect and asked people to contact them “if you recognize this individual.”
Law enforcement officials released a photo of a man with a semiautomatic rifle suspected in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office via REUTERS
Police also shared a photo of a white vehicle and asked anybody who recognized it to contact Lewiston police. It was not immediately clear if this was the same vehicle that had been recovered in Lisbon, but it did match a description from the law enforcement bulleting of a vehicle Card was known to have been driving.
Police in Lewiston, Maine, have released a photo of this car wanted in connection with an active shooting situation on Oct. 25, 2023. Lewiston Police Department
The Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston said in a statement that it was “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event,” but did not have further details on the number of patients or severity of their injuries.
The Maine Medical Center in Portland said it was receiving “one patient transport” from the Central Maine Medical Center in connection with the shootings. The Portland hospital said it had “alerted on-call staff and created critical care and operating room capacity in anticipation of potential patient transports.”
The city of Auburn, Maine, which borders Lewiston to the west, advised residents of both Auburn and Lewiston to shelter in place. Lewiston is located about 45 minutes north of Portland.
A White House official confirmed to CBS News that President Biden had been briefed on “what’s known so far about the mass shooting in Lewiston.”
The FBI is also responding, an agency official told CBS News.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has also been briefed.
“The entire Department of Homeland Security grieves with the loved ones of those killed and injured, and stands with the brave law enforcement officers and first responders who are currently working to secure and safeguard the people of Lewiston,” Mayorkas said in a statement.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills released a statement saying she was briefed on the situation. “I urge all people in the area to follow the direction of State and local enforcement,” Mills said. “I will continue to monitor the situation and remain in close contact with public safety officials.”
The office of Sen. Angus King on Maine said in a statement that he was “deeply sad for the city of Lewiston and all those worried about their family, friends and neighbors.” In a later statement, King’s office said Mr. Biden had reached out to the senator and “offered any federal assistance he can provide to help the people of Maine.
Sen. Susan Collins said on social media she had also spoken with Mr. Biden.
“As our state mourns this horrific mass shooting, we appreciate the support we’ve received from across the country, including the call I received from President Biden offering assistance,” she wrote.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The post At least 16 killed in shootings in Lewiston, Maine, law enforcement officials say first appeared on The News And Times – thenewsandtimes.com.
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