LEWISTON, Maine — A Northeast Ohio native was among those in lockdown following the mass shooting Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine
The student from Chagrin Falls, who is a freshman at Bates College, spoke with 3News overnight while he and his friends were in lockdown inside an academic building.
The student described how scary the night had been as he and his friends had been sheltered in a small room for hours, just miles from where the shooting happened.
"It's a quiet academic building, but every little sound is just 'what is happening' or 'is someone walking by?' Just kind of the fear in that and just wanting to have this end and be over."
"We know this is extraordinarily difficult, particularly for those students who have not been able to return to their residence halls...," said Bates College officials on their website. "Campus Safety continues to patrol and monitor campus, and we remain in touch with Lewiston Police Department and Lewiston city officials."
3News kept in touch with the student, who asked we refer to him only by his first name, Sammy, throughout the day Thursday. He shared that around 8 a.m., campus security escorted him and other students back to their dorms.
"It's definitely a much safer feeling environment, and I think the daylight does help with that a little bit. There's starting to be a few more cars than there were even an hour ago on the street outside," he said. "I'd say the general consensus amongst the people that I've been with is it's starting to feel much safer, but we're still not out of the water yet with this."
As of Thursday afternoon, the campus was still on lockdown, with students advised to stay inside. Sammy said classes at the college were cancelled Thursday as well as Friday, and facilities like dining halls are closed as well.
In the meantime, Sammy said he and others are waiting for updates, and trying to be there for one another.
"Making sure that we're getting each other through this and supporting each other, as a Bates college community and a Lewiston-Auburn area community," he said.
The shooting, which killed 18 people, happened on Wednesday evening at a restaurant and bowling alley in Lewiston. Police have since identified 40-year-old Robert Card as a person of interest.
"We are just very saddened by the events that have happened, especially in our Lewiston community here that we never expected to see," said the student told 3News.
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