Stephen King rages against 'rapid-fire killing machines' after mass shooting

26 October 2023 , 13:11

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The master horror writer has talked about mass shootings before, even writing a book based on them called 'Rage' - published in 1977 (Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

A manhunt is on for an Army reserve firearms instructor named Robert Card, the suspect in the horrific attack that left 18 dead and up to 13 injured, and now author Stephen King has expressed his shock over the mass shooting in Maine.

Horror writer King tweeted: "It's the rapid-fire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder."

King also shared his personal connection to the area, tweeting: "The shootings occurred less than 50 miles from where I live. I went to high school in Lisbon," and added: "THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN IN OTHER COUNTRIES."

Lewiston, Maine, is reeling from the night of terror, which targeted a bowling alley hosting a children's league and a popular bar. Meghan Hutchinson, who was at the bowling alley with her daughter Zoey, told ABC: "She was grazed by a bullet while we were running,"

He is an anti-gun campaigner (Getty Images)

Lewiston, Maine, is reeling from the night of terror (Getty Images)

"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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The gunman, who was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, is now on the loose. Earlier this year, Card was sectioned due to mental health issues after he claimed to hear voices and threatened to attack the National Guard base in Saco, Maine.

Police have released images of the suspect, showing a man entering a business with a gun ready to shoot. The suspect, 40 year old Robert Card, is believed to be on the run and has a car.

Authorities confirmed that 18 people have been killed and many more injured. Police are advising people to stay indoors and lock their doors. Local schools have been told to close.

Robert Card has been named as the suspected shooter (@CinemaShogun)

22 people have been killed and many more injured (@CinemaShogun)

Another witness, Brandon, who didn't give his last name, ran down the bowling alley and hid in the pin retrieval machinery to escape from the shooter. He was at Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston last night when he heard gunfire. He quickly ran away after seeing the gunman, leaving his shoes behind.

Brandon said he heard about ten shots, initially thinking the first was a balloon popping. "I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon - he was holding a weapon - I just booked it," he said.

Local fire rescue services have confirmed it as a mass casualty event across multiple scenes. Two scenes identified so far are popular nighttime spots - bowling alley Sparetime Recreation, where a local children's league was taking place, and Schemengees bar. A local school, where a parent-teacher conference was being held, has also gone into lockdown.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Yelena Mandenberg