Jason Levesque speaks during an interview. (Credit: WGME)
Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque said the community is in shock as witnesses to the Lewiston shooting are of all ages, including teenagers.
Auburn is a town 3 km west of Lewiston.
Speaking to the media outside the reintegration center, Levesque said there was a lot of fear, panic and anxiety among residents.
“You can train for it, but don’t be fully prepared,” Levesque said. “It’s an all-hands situation.”
Speaking to CNN that night, Levesque said he did not know any of the children killed, but he did know of one high school student who was injured.
“Auburn and Lewiston are right next to each other… a river separates us. In total, our population is about 60,000. You don’t know anyone who knows someone, so it affects every corner of our community,” he said.
He recounted more of what happened from witnesses at the reintegration center Wednesday night, including one who heard a man playing with a cornhole “a couple of pops … but he wasn’t thinking about it, it’s Halloween,” he said, adding, “He started looking. Everybody was screaming and moving. “
Maine authorities continue to search and have identified Robert Gard, 40, as a person of interest.
