Auburn city councilor says son was killed in Lewiston shooting while trying to stop gunman

Vice President Kamala Harris offered her sympathies to "yet another community torn apart by senseless gun violence" in remarks addressing the shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday that left 18 dead and 13 wounded.

“Once again, routine gatherings — this time at a bowling alley and a restaurant — have been turned into scenes of horrific carnage,” Harris told those gathered for a luncheon in honor of visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

She said the administration will continue to provide support to local authorities as the investigation into the shootings uncovers what happened.

An intensive manhunt is still underway for suspect Robert Card, 40, who faces an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder. Police said Card should be considered armed and dangerous, urging residents to shelter in place and report any suspicious activity to authorities.

Harris noted that, in the United States, firearm deaths are the leading cause of death for children, warning, “Gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities in this country.” 

Firearms accounted for nearly 19% of childhood deaths (ages 1-18) in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder database.

“And let us be clear, it does not have to be this way — as our friends in Australia have demonstrated,” Harris added.

Australia has long been referenced in the ongoing debate over how to stop mass shootings in the US. It passed nationwide gun control in 2006 after a lone gunman in Tasmania killed 20 people with his first 29 bullets, all in the span of 90 seconds.

In a written statement later Thursday, Harris cited the newly-formed White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention as a way the Biden administration "will continue to work to save lives" until legislation is passed.