Girl, 10, describes 'worst night of her life' being targeted by mass shooter

26 October 2023 , 10:50

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Police have released this image of the suspected shooter (Image: Androscoggin County Sheriff's Of)

A little girl has described the worst night of her life as she was targeted by the Maine gunman who killed 18.

Meghan Hutchinson and her daughter Zoey, 10, were at Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston last night when shots rang out amid a killing spree which has seen at least 18 killed. A children's bowling league was taking place at the time the attack started around 7pm.

Police have released photos of the shooter - suspected to be military-trained firearms instructor Robert Card, 40 - who remains on the run. It's understood hundreds of officers are scouring the state of Maine in pursuit of him.

Lewiston Police confirmed in a Facebook post that Card was a person of interest in the shooting and said he should be considered armed and dangerous. After the bowling alley the man then moved to Schemengees Bar & Grille around four miles away and continued his killing spree.

Zoey, 10, survived the shooting

Meghan said Zoey was struck as the shots rang out. "She was grazed by a bullet while we were running," she told ABC. "We were in the back room. Another child came in whose arm had a massive...was bleeding profusely. So we barricaded in there and another parent was in the room with me. She had a phone and she called 911."

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Speaking to WMTW, Meghan went on to say they go to the bowling venue every Wednesday evening for the youth bowling practice. "We were there as usual … they had just started a game and we heard a loud pop behind us. At first we thought it was a balloon that had gone off but it was way too loud."

The shooting began at Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston (mainesbdc)

Zoey, who was also being interviewed, said: "I didn’t know what to do, I ducked but everyone ran." Meghan continued: "When I turned around I saw the shooter behind me , he had just come through the door. I don’t know if it was a warning shot or if he actually shot someone but between the lanes there are swinging doors so we all just ran that way. We went in there and barricaded ourselves in."

A police officer in tactical gear searches for the gunman (CJ GUNTHER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Zoey said: "We were scared and then I thought I was bleeding. My pants had a bullet thing in them but it wasn’t deep, it was a scrape. I was scared but it didn’t hurt and I didn’t know it happened until I started bleeding. I was worried about if I was going to live, am I going to make it out of here...it was shocking. It is something you think will never happen."

READ MORE: Maine shooting UPDATES: Robert Card named as suspect after 18 killed in horror attack

Armed law enforcement officials guard the ambulance entrance to the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston (AFP via Getty Images)

She added: "It’s scary and I just never thought I’d grow up and get a bullet in my leg. Why do people do it? I never thought someone would walk in and start shooting and taking people’s lives away. They are young people still with long lives ahead of them."‌

Meghan said another child's arm had a "massive hole in it" and was "bleeding profusely". They managed to hide in the bathroom and call for the police. Eventually, she said officers arrived and were banging on the door, but they were unsure on whether to open up. She added: "It was the worst night of our lives."

Ryan Merrifield