LEWISTON, Maine – The state of Maine surpassed its previous three-decade-old homicide record in 2023, largely due to a mass shooting in October that claimed the lives of eighteen people and left thirteen injured.
Authorities revealed on Friday that the total number of homicides for the year had risen to 51, surpassing the previous record of 40 set in 1989. In 2000, the state recorded its lowest number of homicides at 11, while 2022 saw 29 murders.
The shooting spree at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston on October 25 by Robert Card significantly contributed to the record-breaking homicide total. Card, a 40-year-old army reservist, took his own life two days after the shooting.
In response to the tragedy, Maine’s governor and Attorney General initiated an independent commission in November to investigate the case and extract valuable lessons from it. The panel’s meeting scheduled for December 11 was postponed as it awaited additional evidence.
Moreover, Maine experienced other mass murders in 2023, including the deaths of four elderly people in Bowdoin in April. The month of November alone saw 10 homicides, prompting a State Police spokesperson to call for additional resources to manage the increasing caseload.
The rise in homicides in Maine reflects a larger trend across the United States, where mass shooting deaths hit a record high in 2023, with over 200 people killed in 40 mass murder events.