Actor Patrick Dempsey is shocked and heartbroken over the tragic mass shooting in his hometown of Lewiston, Maine.
On the evening of Oct. 25, a gunman went on a shooting spree at various locations in the town, including a bowling alley. The shootings killed at least 18 people and left 13 others injured. The search for the person of interest continues.
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“I am shocked, and deeply saddened by last night’s tragedy in my hometown, Lewiston, Maine,” Dempsey wrote on his Instagram on Oct. 26. “Maine’s great strength is its sense of community, and now we are being asked to come together to support everyone that has been devastated by this senseless act.”
The actor continued by writing that he and his family “are heartbroken for the victims, their families, and the community.”
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Dempsey was born in Lewiston and raised in the nearby towns of Turner and Buckfield. Lewiston is also the location of the former “Grey’s Anatomy” star’s Dempsey Center.
He founded the center in 2008 after his late mother’s battle with ovarian cancer. The Dempsey Center provides personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost. There is also a second location in South Portland, Maine.
Following the news of the fatal shootings, the Dempsey Center noted on their Instagram, "Out of an abundance of caution after recent events in our community, the Dempsey Centers in both Lewiston and South Portland will be closed today, October 26th.
"Our hearts are with the victims, their families, first responders, medical personnel, and the entire Lewiston/Auburn community," the message concluded.
The gunman began a shooting spree on Wednesday evening at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, where seven died, and restaurant Schemengees Bar and Grille, where eight died, officials said at a press briefing, according to NBC News. Three more later died at area hospitals.
A shelter in place order remained for the city, as well as surrounding communities of Lisbon and Bowdoin, as the hunt for the person of interest, identified as Robert Card, 40, continues.
Lewiston is the 565th mass shooting of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as at least four victims shot and killed excluding the shooter.
Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are all involved in the manhunt.
This article first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
