Hundreds of police officers combed a vast, largely rural area of Maine, hunting for the suspect in shootings last night that killed 18 people and injured 13 others in a crowded bowling alley and at a bar in Lewiston.
During the manhunt, entire towns have been locked down and students at nearby Bates College have been told to shelter in place. The authorities identified the suspect as Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, Maine, and posted a photo of him wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and carrying a military-style semiautomatic rifle.
Pentagon records suggest he has spent more than two decades in the Army Reserve. Investigators were looking into a run-in he had with officials during a recent visit to Camp Smith, a National Guard training facility near West Point in New York. A law enforcement official said that Card was later evaluated at a mental health facility. Here’s what else we know about him.
The shooting shook Lewiston, home to about 40,000 people. Seven people died at the bowling alley, eight at the bar and three at the hospital, the police said. When gunshots rang out at the bowling alley, patrons made a frantic flight to safety. Some ran down lanes to hide in pin machines; others sprinted into the woods.
Eight of the 18 people killed have been identified so far. Several families spent the night anxiously awaiting news: One mother waited in a hospital parking lot as her son clung to life inside. A father tearfully described hearing that his son, a manager of the bar that was attacked, had been shot dead. “My Joey will be missed by thousands,” he said.
U.S. economic growth accelerated over the summer
American gross domestic product, the primary measure of economic output, grew at a 4.9 percent annualized rate from July through September, according to government data released today. That pace exceeded forecasts and was the strongest showing since late 2021.
The surge was powered by confident consumers, who spent freely even as borrowing became more expensive. Government spending fueled growth, particularly in defense. While the growth rate is not expected to last, today’s report was a far cry from the recession that many had forecast last year.
Israeli officials are divided over an invasion of Gaza
Israeli tanks crossed Gaza’s northern border overnight and fired at several targets inside the territory, which the military described as an effort to “prepare the battlefield.” It was at least the second time during the conflict between Israel and Hamas that Israel had conducted a limited ground raid in Gaza. And it came soon after the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had indicated that the country was likely to carry out a ground invasion.
But Israeli leaders are divided about how, when and even whether to invade Gaza. By delaying, officials are hoping to have more time to secure the release of hostages captured by Hamas. But some officials are worried that an invasion might suck the Israeli troops into an intractable urban battle inside Gaza, or spark a broader regional conflict.
During Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks, military support was slow to arrive in the quiet desert city of Ofakim, Israel. But officers, most of them armed with handguns, fought back.
Since Oct. 7, Israel says it has struck more than 7,000 targets in Gaza. Satellite images show the damage.
Georgia’s voting maps were struck down
A federal judge ruled today that Republicans in Georgia had violated a landmark civil rights law in drawing voting maps that diluted the power of Black voters, and ordered that new maps be drawn in time for the 2024 elections.
“Georgia has made great strides since 1965 towards equality in voting,” Judge Steve Jones wrote. “However, the evidence before this court shows that Georgia has not reached the point where the political process has equal openness and equal opportunity for everyone.”
More top news
Weather: Hurricane Otis killed at least 27 people on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
Labor: The United Automobile Workers union’s tentative agreement with Ford gave their members their best deal in decades.
U.S.: Texas lawmakers voted to let local police arrest migrants, directly challenging the federal government’s authority.
Education: Top donors to the University of Pennsylvania, angry about a Palestinian conference, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and transgender rights, want the president to resign.
Politics: Mike Johnson, the new House speaker, has said that he does not believe that burning fossil fuels changes the climate. Here’s where Johnson stands on other issues.
International: Denmark is using demolition and relocation to undo “non-Western” neighborhoods.
Space: Billions of years ago, now-hellish Venus may have had a key Earthlike feature that could have helped it support life, a study suggests.
TIME TO UNWIND
‘Priscilla’ isn’t just another Elvis movie
Sofia Coppola’s latest film reconsiders the Elvis Presley story from the perspective of the woman he married, Priscilla Presley. They met when he was already one of the biggest singers on the planet and she was a 14-year-old girl. Elvis keeps her as a sort of pet, even refusing to consummate their relationship.
“Priscilla,” our reviewer writes, is “stealthily devastating.” It features no Elvis songs, purportedly because of rights issues, but that constraint helps clarify the movie’s perspective. Without the King’s artistry on display, his behavior takes center stage.
After Priscilla Presley saw the movie last month, she said she was moved: “Sofia did an amazing job.”
Chimpanzees go through menopause, too
Menopause has long baffled biologists, who wonder about the evolutionary benefits of living for so long without having more babies. Some scientists have pointed to the understanding that menopause is incredibly uncommon among wild mammals — it has been observed only in a few whales — to suggest that it played a crucial part in the evolution of humans.
But a study published today challenges that view: A group of researchers discovered, after decades of observations in a rainforest in Uganda, that some chimpanzees also go through menopause.
Dinner table topics
Michelangelo’s secret drawings? Since its discovery in 1975, a room beneath the Medici Chapels in Florence, Italy, that is covered in sketches has been closed to the public. Now that’s changing.
Alcohol and sex: How much and how often you drink can affect your libido.
A haunting setting: The hotel that inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining” has become a hot spot for couples seeking a spooky location for their weddings.
A hazy issue: As recreational marijuana use has become more popular, it has become an issue for many couples.
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
Cook: These almond and goat cheese bars are savory-sweet, and reliable crowd pleasers.
Watch: “High and Low” is one of the best movies streaming on Max right now.
Listen: “Fantasia” is a daring yet elegant album from the pianist Igor Levit.
Inquire: The psychologist Adam Grant recommends asking for advice rather than feedback.
Exercise: It’s close to ski season. Prepare with this easy 20-minute strength workout.
Wear: Wirecutter tested dozens of no-show socks. This pair doesn’t slip down.
Hunt: Which of these New Jersey homes would you buy with an $800,000 budget?
Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING
Does candy corn deserve more respect?
Every fall, when people decorate for Halloween, pumpkins take center stage, candy is sold by the bucket and discord breaks out between the lovers and haters of one waxy, colorful treat: candy corn. It has, along with black licorice and circus peanuts, become one of the most maligned candies.
But candy corn’s staying power is undeniable. After being introduced in the late 1880s as a working-class delicacy called chicken feed, its popularity has yet to truly wane. Brach’s produces about 30 million pounds of candy corn each year. Thirty-one percent of Americans say they eat the treat by nibbling off the white tip first.
Have a palatable evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
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