Lewiston attack: What we know so far about Maine mass shooting

Some Eighteen people have been killed in two shootings in the US state of Maine, with the gunman still at large.

A bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston were targeted by a man who opened fire indiscriminately in both locations on Wednesday evening.

"It's a dark day," the state governor, Janet Mills, told reporters at a briefing.

A huge manhunt is now under way, with border guards in Canada put on high alert amid fears the suspect could try and cross into the country.

Here's what we know about the attack so far.

At 18:56 local time (23:56 GMT) police received the first 911 call about a shooting at Just-In-Time Recreation, a bowling alley in Lewiston. Police later said seven people were killed.

Moments later, at 19:08, several 911 calls reported a gunman at the restaurant Schemengees Bar and Grille, about four miles away from the bowling alley. Eight people lost their lives in the restaurant shooting. Three more people later died in hospital.

Shortly after 20:00, Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office published photos of the suspected gunman and asked businesses to lock down.

At 20:09 Maine State Police said there was an active shooter in Lewiston and that they were investigating multiple locations. They also asked people to shelter in place.

Around 20:30 the city of Auburn told its residents to shelter in place and lock their doors.

And at 23:00 the Lewiston Police Department posted another picture of Card on social media, naming him as a "person of interest".

About midnight state police said a "vehicle of interest" was found in Lisbon, about seven miles from Lewiston, and asked people to shelter in place there as well.

Police expand shelter-in-place order to the town of Bowdoin, the suspect's home town, at 04:30.

We do not have many details yet on the people killed or injured, but we do know that seven died in the shooting at the bowling alley.

Witnesses described families being there at the time and the panic that was triggered by the gunshots.

Riley Dumont told ABC News her 11-year-old daughter had been taking part in a children's bowling league when the gunman opened fire.

She ended up laying on top of her daughter to shield her from the bullets, and her mother lay on top of her.

Eight people, all male, were killed at the Schemengees Bar and Grille restaurant, seven inside and one outside, police said.

Some of the dead have been identified and their families informed, but there are 10 people still unidentified.

The police named Robert Card as the suspect and described him as 5'11" (180cm) tall, weighing 230 pounds (104kg).

He is armed and dangerous, police said, but they have not said anything about a possible motive.

His last known address was in Bowdoin, Maine.

He attended the University of Maine as an engineering student. It is not clear if he graduated from the university.

According to the Maine Department of Public Safety, Mr Card is enlisted in the US Army Reserve and has an active military ID, CBS News reports.

Authorities initially described him as a trained firearms instructor but later said that was not accurate.

Police said he spent two weeks at a mental health facility this summer and was subsequently released.

A massive police manhunt is under way and officers have told residents in Lewiston, Lisbon, Bowdoin and Auburn to remain at home.

Police have not said much about the focus of their search but they did say it involves a number of police forces.

As well as Maine State Police, there are federal and county officers and other local municipalities involved in looking for the gunman.