Vancouver student studying in Lewiston, Maine describes 'terrifying experience' during shooting
'There were sirens going on in the background, the entire parking lot was empty. It felt really eerie'
When David He learned there was an active shooter near his college campus, old lessons from grade school kicked in.
He grew up in Vancouver, B.C., where he participated in drills for emergency situations. He was taught to close the blinds to a classroom, turn down the lights and hide.
That's just what he did on Wednesday night, when a gunman shot and killed at least 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, where He attends Bates College.
Twenty-year-old He was in a classroom for a trivia night with classmates, when the news of a shooter in the community came through on the school's emergency system.
"My heart started to pitter patter a little bit," he said, noting he was on the ground floor, which was easily accessible.
He said he made his way to the highest floor and looked for a classroom to hide in. He found one, dimmed the lights and pulled the blinds shut, and hid.
"As a Canadian, we often hear news about shootings south of our border," He said. "When I went to school here, I never thought it could happen."
Around 1 a.m., He said he decided to leave the building and head for his dorm room.
"I just looked outside to see if it was safe and took a deep breath and sprinted."
It was a route he regularly takes to get to class, which isn't far. But this time, he said, it felt much further.
"There were sirens going on in the background, the entire parking lot was empty. It felt really eerie."
Once he returned to his dorm, adrenaline made it difficult for He to fall asleep. Friends and family were calling and texting to make sure He was safe.
He said one of the toughest parts of an event like this, in a town he's chosen to go to school in, is the familiarity he has with some areas where the violence happened.
"Those streets are the same streets that I would walk with friends to for a meal," He said.
"Those street names resonate with me. It's like saying like there's something on Kingsway, there's something on Broadway. It's a terrifying experience."
Manhunt remains active
As of Thursday morning, the search for the shooter remains ongoing. Police have locked down Lewiston and several nearby towns.
Police are looking for 40-year-old Robert Card, who has been identified as a person of interest. Officials say he is a firearms instructor with military training, and is considered armed and dangerous.
Gov. Janet Mills said she was "profoundly saddened" by the events, which have also left 13 people injured.
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With files from Joel Ballard and The Associated Press