Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Canadian student sheltering amid manhunt for Maine mass shooter

Share

As a shelter-in-place order remains in place while authorities conduct a large manhunt after a mass shooting in Maine left at least 18 people dead, a Canadian studying in Lewiston is sharing his experience of when the local college went into lockdown during the attack.

"It became real when I got a text from the college emergency system," David He told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel on Thursday. "I decided to go up to the highest floor possible."

HID IN EMPTY CLASSROOM

After the getting an alert from his college, He says that he found an empty classroom, dimmed all the lights and closed the blinds before throwing his "back against the wall."

He also relayed some chaotic moments at the college as those in the building found places to hide, saying he peeked through the blinds and saw other students running into a different classroom.

"I joined them because I felt that it was… safer in numbers," He said. "We all hid there, all of us were worried and texting our families."

MASS SHOOTER DRILLS

He said that like many other schools in the United States, his college provided guidance on what action to take during a mass shooting event, with campus security later escorting those hiding in buildings and classrooms throughout the college to safety.

"These are all things that we all learn for orientation," He relayed to Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel host Marcia MacMillan. "It's just in the common psyche of a lot of people living in the U.S."

As the search for the man suspected of the shooting remains ongoing, He also says that he's still sheltering in his dormitory and that after many spent the night hiding throughout the campus, many services and classes remain suspended.

MANHUNT ONGOING

Maine Governor Janet Mills said at least 18 people were killed and 13 others were injured in the mass shootings, sparked by a man who opened fire at a bowling alley and a restaurant then fled into the night.

There's a massive search by hundreds of officers while residents stayed locked in their homes, with authorities warning that the suspect, Robert Card, is considered armed and dangerous.

He says that he chose to study in Maine because Lewiston is "a lot like home" and that the small town has a tightly-knit community.

"It's deeply devastating to know that we are so close to all of this."

Watch the full interview by clicking the video at the top of this article.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.

An Air Canada flight headed to Toronto from Frankfurt diverted to Edinburgh due to an emergency Thursday, the airline says.

BREAKING

BREAKING

Canadian singer K’naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.

WATCH LIVE

WATCH LIVE Helene's winds batter Florida as Category 3 storm races toward the coast

Tropical storm force winds began battering Florida on Thursday as Hurricane Helene prepared to make landfall, with forecasters warning that the enormous storm could create a "nightmare" surge along the coast and churn up damaging winds hundreds of miles inland across much of the southeastern U.S.

An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.

Vancouver police blocked traffic and the SkyTrain's Millennium Line suspended service to VCC-Clark Station due to an "unstable crane" in the area Thursday.

Local Spotlight

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.