Search for suspect ongoing in Lewiston mass shooting

Content Warning: Contains mentions of gun violence.

Eighteen people were killed in mass shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grill and at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley, in Lewiston, Maine, Oct. 25, leading authorities on a manhunt involving local, state and federal officials. 

Suspect Robert Card of Bowdoin, Maine, is considered at-large and authorities believe he is armed and dangerous, according to the Associated Press. Card is currently wanted for eight counts of murder. According to Maine State Police Col. William Ross, this count is likely to grow to 18 as more victims are identified. 

Card, a 40-year-old Army reservist, was recently evaluated by mental health officials after military commanders expressed concern with his behavior in July.

Patrick Poulin, who was supposed to be at the bowling alley where the shooting occurred, stayed home on Thursday with his 15-year-old son. Poulin’s brother witnessed the shooting. 

Poulin told the AP he has a personal connection to the bowling alley.

“It’s absolutely devastating, it really is. It’s scary. You go places, you expect to be safe,” he said. “The last thing I ever thought would happen at that place is what happened.”

Residents of Lewiston and the surrounding towns of Bowdoin, Auburn and Lisbon were asked to shelter in place, according to CBS News.

Hannah Orton, a student at Bates College, was placed on lockdown as a result of the shooting.

“Sandy Hook happened when I was in elementary school, so all of my life I have been preparing for this,” Orton said to The Boston Globe. “But I never thought I would have to use those skills.”

The AP reported this as the 36th mass shooting of 2023.

This is a breaking story, and The Journal will continuously update information as it becomes available.

Rep. Mike Johnson to serve as House Speaker

The House of Representatives elected Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana to be the 56th speaker of the House Oct. 25 after three weeks of uncertainty about who the next leader would be.

Johnson was unanimously nominated by Republicans as the party’s fourth nominee and was elected to the position in a 220-209 vote, according to The New York Times. He was elected to Congress in 2016, which makes him the most junior member to become speaker in decades. He is also the first speaker from Louisiana.

In a speech to the Chamber, Johnson thanked former Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy for his service to the country and fellow House members for electing him. He referenced the tumultuous circumstances that led to his election but emphasized his optimistic outlook on the future of his speakership.

“The challenge before us is great, but the time for action is now,” Johnson said. “I will not let you down.”

Johnson is a staunch social conservative who was backed by far-right House members for his views on abortion and his evangelical Christian faith. Johnson has also been open about his opposition to same-sex marriage and the teaching of gender and sexuality in schools.

He was a key member in the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election and collected signatures in the House supporting a lawsuit to do so.

Johnson, a lawyer, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and served on Trump’s impeachment defense team. He formerly served as chairman of the House Republican Study Committee.

The House passed a resolution in a 412-10 vote Oct. 25 declaring solidarity with Israel, The Times reported, the first piece of legislation under Johnson’s speakership. 

City Council passes resolution to rename Faneuil Hall

Boston City Council passed a resolution Oct. 25 to allow the renaming of Faneuil Hall. 

The resolution was proposed by Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson in light of its namesake, Peter Faneuil, who the District 7 councilor described in the resolution as a “white supremacist, a slave trader, and a slave owner who contributed nothing recognizable to the ideal of democracy.”

“Symbols are extremely important,” said Fernandes Anderson before the vote. “Because as we look at them, we then understand and internalize and we become our environment. We viscerally continue to propel trauma and we continue to believe that we are less than.”

Despite the passing of the resolution, the ability to officially change the name lies within the jurisdiction of the Public Facilities Commission, which has not said when, or if, the name will be changed, according to The Associated Press.

The resolution passed 10-3, with the dissenters being Councilor Frank Baker, Council President Ed Flynn and At-Large Councilor Michael Flaherty.