Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed Thursday that security has been increased at the border with Maine, where the manhunt continues for the man who shot dead at least 18 people in a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued an “arms and danger” alert to officers posted along the Canada-US border on Thursday, warning them to be on the lookout for the wanted man.
The shootings were reported Wednesday evening in Lewiston, about 260 kilometers southwest of the New Brunswick border.
A police bulletin identified the suspect as Robert Card, 40, a firearms instructor believed to be in the U.S. Army Reserve and assigned to a training center in Saco, W. Maine.
PHOTO ADRIAN WYLD, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Justin Trudeau
I can assure you that our Minister of Public Services is in contact with our counterparts in the United States to ensure that everyone is safe and sound.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
As the massive search continued for Card, southern Maine residents were urged to lock their doors and stay inside their homes.
The CBSA said it is working with its Canadian and U.S. law enforcement partners, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), to “protect the borders of Canada against any threat or attempted illegal entry.”
The Canadian border agency said its “Armed and Dangerous — Firearms Watch Notice” alert was sent to all of its agents through an internal system, and the agency added that all ports of entry along of the Canada-US border remain open.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Trudeau expressed his heartfelt support for those affected by the tragedy. “Obviously our thoughts are first with our friends in Maine and their families who are suffering at a terrible time, but we will always be there to ensure the protection of all Canadians. »
In and near Calais, Maine, which shares three border ports of entry with St. Stephen in southwestern New Brunswick, U.S. police officers set up checkpoints on the U.S. side to control vehicles before they enter Canada, said Saint-Stephen Mayor Allan MacEachern.
Normally, vehicles bound for New Brunswick are not screened before reaching the CBSA point of entry on the Canadian side.
“We also have agents based on the Canadian side,” Mr. MacEachern said in an interview. We also alerted the community via our alert application system […] I’ve witnessed this setup before for other things. »
Painful memory in Nova Scotia
Meanwhile, the horror of the shooting resonated in Nova Scotia, where residents recalled how the man dressed as a Mountie fatally shot 22 people three years ago, the worst mass shooting in modern history from Canada.
On Facebook, Nova Scotia resident Nick Beaton posted an image of the Maine coat of arms. His 33-year-old pregnant wife Kristen was shot and killed on April 19, 2020 while sitting in her car in Debert, Nova Scotia.
In response to Mr Beaton’s post, Jennifer Zahl Bruland posted images of three broken hearts. His father and stepmother, John Zahl and Joanne Thomas, were shot dead in their retirement home in Portapique, Nova Scotia, on the night of April 18, 2020.
The public inquiry that investigated the Nova Scotia killings determined that the shooter, Gabriel Wortman, smuggled three semi-automatic weapons from Maine. Two were handguns he got from a friend in Houlton, Maine, and the third was a rifle he purchased with the help of an American citizen attending a gun show in Maine.
The final report of the public inquiry, released in March of this year, describes how red flags about the killer failed to stop any of his illegal activities during his 21 border crossings between Woodstock, New Brunswick , and Houlton, Maine between 2016 and 2020.
In New Brunswick, the RCMP released a brief statement Thursday saying they were monitoring the situation in collaboration with Canadian and American partners.
“Our thoughts are with the citizens of Maine and all those affected by this event,” Corporal Hans Ouellette said in a statement.
Maine shares 18 official ports of entry with New Brunswick and six more with Quebec, according to the CBSA website.