As the manhunt for alleged mass Lewiston mass shooter Robert Card continues into the weekend, Maine officials announced Friday evening during a news conference that hunting would be indefinitely prohibited in four communities that are at the center of their massive investigation.
Hunting will not be allowed in Lewiston, Lisbon, Bowdoin and Monmouth, beginning Saturday — which is Maine's resident only hunting day for deer — and until further notice, Department of Public Safety Director Michael Sauschuck said.
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The shelter-in-place order, meanwhile, has been lifted, but people are being urged to remain vigilant.
"Specifically, hunting is prohibited in those four towns and those four towns only," Sauschuck said. "The rest of the state is allowed to continue with their resident only day on Saturday."
Sauschuck said people may hear gunshots Saturday from hunters.
"So we would ask everybody to use caution in that and not think that every one of those gunshots is directly regarding this particular crisis situation, this investigation," Sauschuck said. "Clearly... if they're suspicious, if they're concerned they can certainly call their local agencies."
"I would ask them to think about that — where they're located, when did they hear that, if they're 150 miles north do they need to call their 911 center and create a response, and I think I would say no to that, unless they have another set of facts, a fact pattern that would believe them there's a direct connection between that gunfire and what they've heard to this point."
Firearm season for deer hunting begins in Maine on Monday.
