A Maine resident said he and his family are “locked and loaded” as his neighbourhood was told to shelter while police hunt for an active shooter.
A gunman opened fire at a bar and bowling alley on Wednesday evening leaving at least 22 people dead, and detectives have warned he remains “armed and dangerous.”
But Don Dostie,61, who lives barely a block away from the shooting scene, said he is ready to take on the shooter should he approach his home.
Dostie is sheltering with wife Dinny, 54, and said they are “safe” for the moment.
He said: “If any of these shooters come near my hours, I’m not going to ask how they’re doing.”
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to Daily Express US
Asked what he would do if confronted by the shooter, he said: “Most of us in Maine, we hunt, I’m a pretty good shot.”
Dostie said he heard the gunshots in the distance and spotted police cars rushing towards the crime scene.
He said he saw numerous ambulances go past Main Street as they took victims to the hospital for immediate treatment.
So far, 22 people have been confirmed dead and another 50-60 people were injured at multiple locations.
Police said they are looking for 40-year-old Robert Card, an Army reservist they claim is linked to the mass shooting.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Dostie said he and his wife often walk their dog around the Sparetime Recreation centre the shooter attacked.
He added: “I heard sirens about a half hour ago and I thought I heard a few shots in the distance. We’re staying inside our house.’
Lewiston Police said in an earlier Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley about 4 miles away.
After the shooting, police, many armed with rifles, took up positions while the city descended into eerie quiet — punctuated by occasional sirens — as people hunkered down at home.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed the shooter walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulder.
On 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.
The hospital was locked down and police, some armed with rifles, stood by the entrances.
