The hero of the Maine massacre: Bowling alley manager led ‘countless’ children to safety as they were shot at by a gunman β as he fights for his life in hospital after being shot in the legs
The manager of Sparetime bowling alley helped “countless” children to safety before he was shot in the legs during the Maine massacre that left 18 dead and 13 injured.
Thomas Giberti risked his life by leading children into a secure area at the bowling alley while under fire during the shooting, according to reports Bowling in New England.
The gunman, Robert Card, walked into the Lewiston, Maine, bowling alley around 7 p.m. Wednesday carrying an AR-15 style rifle and started shooting while a children’s bowling league was in progress.
Giberti’s cousin, Will Bourgault, said on Facebook that his uncle was beaten several times and that he was fighting for his life in the hospital.
βMy uncle was one of the victims who worked at the Sparetime bowling association in Lewiston, Maine. He was shot multiple times in the legs and is currently undergoing surgery,β Bourgault said.
Thomas Giberti (photo) is the hero of the bowling alley manager who led children to safety during the shooting on Wednesday evening
The suspected shooter, Robert Card, entered the bowling alley carrying an AR-15 style rifle on Wednesday around 7 p.m.
Tributes to the manager poured in online and people were not surprised to hear of his selfless act.
βFor those of you who don’t know Tom, he is a bright light in a dark room and it doesn’t surprise me that he was selfless in the face of chaos and tragedy,β Will Damon said.
Erin Merrill said, βI’ve known Tom all my life. He is one of my favorite people, I always go to him when I go to the bowling alley. I pray for him.’
Parents and children in the Arctic Street told of the horrific experience during the massacre.
Lewiston mother Riley Dumont was at the bowling alley with her daughter and her parents, including her father, a retired police officer, who jumped into action and saved the lives of several people.
‘I heard a very loud bang. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but my dad looked at me,” Dumont told ABC.
βThe next thing I knew, he just took the group we were in and just put us in the corner,β she said.
Giberti led “countless” children to safety at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley Wednesday evening. The location is pictured above
Survivors and relatives have begun speaking out after the bloody massacre at Schemengees Bar and Grille and the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, the state’s second city.
The body of a victim of the Maine shooting that killed at least 18 people has been wheeled out of the bar targeted by the gunman – as police fear he crossed into Massachusetts wearing “night vision goggles.”
At least 18 people were killed and another 13 injured in the disaster. Officials saw a body bag being driven out of Schemengees on Thursday morning
βHe set up tables above us and just made sure we were safe. He just sprang into action at that moment. It felt like it took forever.β
βI was kind of on top of (my daughter), and my mom was kind of on top of me. We had two other children with us and two other mothers.β
10-year-old Zoey wondered ‘why do people do this’ as she sat next to her mother the morning after they survived the shocking attack.
Zoey’s mother Meghan Hutchinson said her daughter was “grazed by a bullet” amid the terrifying rampage.
βShe got grazed by a bullet while we were running,β Hutchinson told ABC.
‘We were in the back room. Another child came in whose arm had massive swelling and was bleeding profusely.
βSo we barricaded in there and another parent was in the room with me. She had a phone and called 911.β
Police said seven of the gunshot victims were found at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley: one woman and six men.
After the bowling alley, Card took his reign of terror to Schemengees Bar and Grille, where another eight victims were found: seven men inside and one outside.
Lewiston, a small city of about 38,000 residents, is on lockdown as police hunt for Card, who struggled with mental health issues this summer. He previously reported hearing voices threatening to shoot up his National Guard base in Saco, Maine
Zoey, 10, wondered ‘why do people do this’ as she sat next to her mother Meghan Hutchinson the morning after they survived the shocking attack at Just-In-Time Recreation in Lewiston
Police blocked access to the road to Sparetime Recreation on Thursday. Police said seven of the gunshot victims were found there: one woman and six men
Colonel William Ross of the Maine State Police said only eight of the 18 victims had been identified as of 11 a.m. EST Thursday.
Card has been charged with eight counts of murder, while authorities are working to identify the other 10 victims.
Police are looking for the shooter, a previously assigned army firearms instructor, who is on the run.
Follow MailOnline’s live blog for updates on the manhunt after the Maine shooting.