Maine residents in lockdown as hunt for suspected killer focuses on river

Authorities in the US state of Maine expressed concern for the safety of the community, which was told to stay in lockdown as the search for a US army reservist suspected of carrying out a mass shooting went into its second day

- Edward Helmore  , Maya Yang

Robert Card, 40, is suspected of killing 18 people and wounding 13 more in shootings at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, a small city 140 miles (225km) north of Boston. The suspect fled the scene on Wednesday night and remained at large yesterday while a manhunt by local, county, state and federal officials continues.

At a press conference yesterday morning, Mike Sauschuck, the commissioner of the Maine department of public safety, warned: "Every minute that this goes on we are more and more concerned, because what is the next thing that's going to happen?"

He said that law enforcement would put "divers in the water along the Androscoggin River", at a location about 8 miles from Lewiston. Sauschuck added that the divers will be checking for evidence and for "potential bodies".

"You're going to see a lot of activity here... then we're going to have some sonar...so picking up shadows... anything can be under there," he said.