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News October 27, 2023

Maine Promo Companies Close, Employees Shelter in Place as Police Pursue Mass Shooting Suspect

A mass shooting in the city of Lewiston, which left 18 dead, occurred a half mile from the offices of Top 40 distributor Geiger.

By  Sara Lavenduski

Update (Friday, 10/27): As the manhunt for shooting suspect Robert Card continues, government officials continue to mandate shelter-in-place orders in the Lewiston area. Top 40 distributor Geiger and other nearby businesses are closed again today.

Scott Nussinow had just returned home from the ASI Power Summit in Pasadena, CA, to Auburn, ME – across the Androscoggin River from Lewiston – when his phone started ringing on Wednesday evening with a deluge of calls, texts, Nextdoor notifications and emergency services messages, warning residents of an active shooter situation at two nearby businesses.

Nussinow, the executive vice president of ArtworkServicesUSA (asi/820124), immediately drew the shades, turned off all lights, made sure all doors were locked and turned on his alarm system. He, like thousands of Maine residents, remain under shelter-in-place orders as officials investigate the tragedy and search for the culprit, who’s still at large.

Robert Card of Bowdoin, ME, is now on the run after police said he is the suspect in shootings at two locations in Lewiston on the evening of Oct. 25, first at Just-in-Time Recreation, a bowling alley, and then at nearby Schemengees Bar and Grille. At the time of this writing, 18 have been confirmed dead and 13 injured.

Officials are actively searching for Card, who could be in another state and is considered armed and dangerous. Reports state that he’s a firearms expert and trainer, and a member of the U.S. Army Reserve based in Saco, ME.

In the meantime, communities including Lewiston, Augusta, Bowdoin, Lisbon and Portland, are under shelter-in-place orders, and businesses, including Maine promotional products companies, are closed.

Among them are Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900), whose headquarters are in Lewiston, less than half a mile from the restaurant where the shooting occurred.

“Our phones and electronic media have been flooded with your concern, prayers and support,” said Geiger President & CEO Jo-an Lantz in a statement. “The outpouring of support is very helpful. We continue to be saddened by the reports coming in from last night’s tragic events. Our prayers are with our associates, their families, our Lewiston community, and all those affected by these horrific events. The Geiger office in Lewiston will be closed today as the investigation is ongoing and the person of interest is at large. We thank all of the first responders who are dealing with these unprecedented events. It’s often said Maine is one small city and today we are all heartbroken. We are so thankful for all of the concern shared from our industry friends around the globe.”

Nussinow said his town remains completely shut down. “No one is outside,” he said on Thursday. “There’s no yard work being done, no one’s walking their dogs, there are no planes overhead except for an occasional helicopter either looking for the suspect or transporting people to hospitals. Everything is closed.”

That includes L.L.Bean, the Freeport-based outdoor retailer, which rarely closes, Nussinow said, not even on Christmas or New Year’s. Today, its flagship store, corporate headquarters, factories and other facilities in Maine are all shut.

DVE Manufacturing, a distributor in Lewiston, is closed on Thursday, Oct. 26, and may also be closed on the 27th. “This is the end of innocence for the state of Maine,” said DVE Sales Manager Rebecca Loiselle. “It’s a strange feeling, like 9/11.”

Other towns further from the crime scenes are not under shelter-in-place orders at this time, but residents know the situation is fluid as police continue to pursue the suspect. Belfast, ME-based Wet Effect (asi/98103) is about an hour and a half north of Lewiston, and remains open as long as conditions allow. “We’re deeply saddened,” said Wet Effect President Roberta Chandler. “We’re monitoring advice from authorities, and we’ll adjust business hours accordingly as the investigation continues.”

Jennifer Coffin is the president of Shads Advertising (asi/324150), located on Pineland Farms, a working farm, business campus and educational center in New Gloucester, about 15 miles from Lewiston. Pineland Farms is closed to visitors for the time being, and is granting building access to tenants upon request. Shads Advertising employees are working from home, with two in Lewiston under shelter-in-place orders.

“Lewiston is a small community of 37,000 people,” said Coffin. “We’re connected through close family ties, community groups, schools, churches and a lifetime of shared experiences. The losses we’re experiencing will affect us for many years.”

A former co-worker of Nussinow’s wife lost friends at the bowling alley. “It seems that we’ll all know someone who knows someone who won’t be coming home,” he said. “It reminds me of the Boston Marathon bombing. Both of our kids were living in that area and had to shelter in place for days. The bomber was found about a mile from where our son was living. This gunman is a firearms expert and trainer. This won’t end quickly or easily.”