Streets in Lewiston were empty outside the bowling alley, where multiple people were killed and others injured late Wednesday, and the town's normally bustling business sector remained deserted. Makeshift "Closed" signs remain hanging on doors and windows of restaurants, banks and grocery stores.
However, marked and unmarked police cruisers are scurrying back and forth in the town, which is home to some 40,000 people.
Local and state authorities in Androscoggin County, where Lewiston is located, have declared an extended "shelter in place" warning and have urged residents to remain in their homes with the doors locked.
Police officers armed with long guns and bullet-proof vests guarded all entrances of the Central Maine Medical Center, where many victims of the shootings have been taken for treatment. The officers are refusing to let anyone inside out of an abundance of caution.
Superintendent of Lewiston Public Schools Jake Langlais issued an announcement on the school district's website that there would be no school on Friday, adding that buildings will be closed and the school bus transportation will not run.
Schools and businesses in nearby municipalities also remained closed, including all Hannaford supermarkets in Maine.
In the nearby town of Monmouth, several gas stations and coffee shops were closed.
Police helicopters are searching for the suspect, monitoring hundreds of acres of wooded landscape.
Media reported that Card served in the military and was a firearm instructor, but also had mental health issues. He served two weeks at a mental health institution over the summer after he threatened to carry out a shooting at a National Guard facility.