this is cnn breaking news. >> yehello and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm liynda kinkade. we're following breaking news this hour. another mass shooting in the united states. 22 people reported killed in maine. and the suspected gunman is still at large. we're following developments out of the middle east. israel gearing up for ground operations in gaza, even as the territory's deepening humanitarian crisis spirals out of control. i want to begin in maine, where

the manhunt is under way after a massacre in two locations in the city of lewiston. 22 people are ked, 16 others wounded. the shooting took place at a bowling alley and a restaurant. officials have been telling residents to stay inside and lock their doors. hundreds of officers are looking for this man, 40-year-old robert card. police describe him as a person of interest and say he is considered armed and dangerous. the local sheriff's office released this image of the gunman holding a high-powered assault-style rifle, just inside the entrance to the bowling alley. u.s. president joe biden says he has been briefed on the shooting and spoke with maine's governor and lawmakers. i want to bring in a reporter with wmtw in lewiston right now. we appreciate you being with us,

james. we spoke with an official ear earlier. 22 people killed, dozens injured. you're outside of the main medical center in lewiston. tell us about the medical response. what more are you hearing about those treating the survivors? >> reporter: we spoke a few minutes ago to one of the trauma surgeons here in lewiston, giving us an insight of what that staff, what that team of surgeons have been going through throughout this evening and into the early morning hours. he said this is not something he has seen before. a high-velocity a.r. bullet ripping through a human body. that's something you only see in pictures. he had nothing but praise for his staff here. they were prepared and they were staffed. they didn't flinch when dozens and dozens of injured came in through these doors, with gunshot wounds. again, the likes of which they haven't seen.

at least 20 dead. dozens injured. we don't have that exact number. that exact number has not been confirmed the number of dead could rise as the day progresses. we have spoken to some of the nurses here at cmc. the looks on their faces, on some of the faces, really just told the entirety of the story. this is a community that doesn't see incidents like this happen. maine is last in the state in terms of violent crime. they average about 22 homicides per year for the last decade. that was matched in one night, in the course of ten minutes, when robert card has allegedly took his a.r. rifle into the bow bowling ally and into the bar here, in the city here in

lewiston. we're under a shelter in place, the entire county here. no businesses will be able to open. people that were in businesses are still in businesses. they have not been able to leave. places like schools had to be evacuated. this is something we have never seen in the state of maine or wish to see or ever want to see again. it has happened here, in a place that, frankly, one of the places you would least expect to see it happen. >> we noticed the security outside of the hospital there. we know that state and local and federal offices are looking for the suspected gunman, eight hours after the massacre. what's the latest on the manhunt?

>> reporter: his car was found in lisbon, a town not far from here. it's been a long time. law enforcement officers are patrolling that area in lisbon. we've seen helicopters circle that area, do laps around. at this moment, the suspect, the person of interest, robert card, is still at large. that shelter in place order remains intact. >> we appreciate your time tonight. our thoughts are with your community. thanks for joining us. i want to bring in steve moore, a cnn contributor, former member of the fbi.

good to have you here, steve. >> thanks. >> this manhunt is still under way. eight hours since the first shots reportedly fired. what does that mean for law enforcement, as the hours pick on? >> the problem with the passage of time is that's also an expansion of the search area. the person, the shooter, with, if they have a vehicle, it's wildly expanding. if they're on foot, it's still expanding. it puts a larger burden on them. right now, they are probably bringing in resources, as we speak, say, from the fbi. the fbi had aircraft that can look for -- look for the smallest body heat on the ground. they can search for that.

i've been in those planes when we looked for people in areas like this. that's what we're going to see, a more technical search. it's dangerous to send in law enforcement that can set up boobie traps. if you don't send them in, he can get to a civilian target. >> we're showing you photos of the suspect. what do you take away from those image? >> are these images of the shooter himself? >> exactly. >> yeah. that's scary. i have a tactical background, and you are able to recognize somebody with expertise.

he is showing several behaviors that indicate a high level of training. he is moving forward. yet looking for the side. covering targets or searching for the targets on his left, in one of the photos. you see him holding the front of the rifle down. it's not just gently cradled. he's holding it town. that usually means he is expecting to fire rapidly. holding it down is somebody who is tactically trained. even the way he is walking. you see his feet -- his legs are moving mainly below the knees. that allows you to walk without the rifle barrel bouncing. all of these things mean he is a camp tent tactical shooter. that complicates things more

than i can imagine for the law enforcement. >> we saw from law enforcement officials that the person of interest, robert card, was a certified firearms and tactics instructor with military experience. he was committed to a mental health facility, after reportedly hearing voices and making threats to shoot up a national guard base in maine. it's unclear at this point, if this is the person that the gunman -- it's unclear at this point, if so, he's able to get that rifle. in terms of the gun laws in maine, what do you know about them? what should people in those areas do right now? >> well, what the people should do in those areas is hunker down. don't answer your door unless you can verify that it's police. don't let anyone come into the house and report any change

movements outside or report any noises you hear. that's the number one thing. as far as the gun laws, think about it this way. this person has been in the military likely for years. as a firearms instructor had access to ar-15s. i was a firearms instructor. i had access to ar-15s. he probably had this weapon legally long before he started to experience any mental issues. we're going back to that whole thing. how serious are we about retrieving weapons who have access to them and are mentally incompetent to keep their possession of the rifles. >> an those images, we saw the suspect walking through inin al

restaurant, at dinner time. he didn't have a flak jacket on or any other protection. what's your reading into that? in terms of his mindset, how does this play out? >> we could have a flak jacket under that bulky top he is wearing. i think what it says is, you can't get me. even if you don't, i don't think he cares. i think he sees this as the end of the voices in his head. the end of his mental anguish. the end of his life. i believe he was carrying all sorts of magazine -- extra ammo

in his cargo pants pockets. i think the reason he didn't wear flak vest or some kind of protective gear is two-fold, as i said. you can't get me. >> steve moore, good to have you on the program for that perspective. thank you very much. he lives in lewiston, maine, and his home is just a block away from the bowling alley in a became a scene. he told my colleague wednesday night it was too hard to believe. >> my first reaction was anger that it was happening in the community. we're much better than that.

you've had this before in a mass shooting. you can't believe it will happen. i have helicopters flying over my house with search lights. it's unreal. still ahead, the latest on that mass shooting in lewiston, maine. 22 dead, many more wounded. the gunman still at large. also ahead, i'm going to speak to a military spokesperson about a ground invasion in gaza we're told is coming.

welcome back. i'm lynda kinkade. we're continuing our coverage of israelless war with hamas. we have an update in a moment. first, deadly mass shootings in lewiston, maine. local police have identified robert card as a inteperson of interest. 22 people were killed and dozens others injured. his vehicle was found in the nearby town of lisbon. card is described as a firearms instructor and u.s. army reserve. he is considered armed and dangerous. and residents are being urged to shelter in place.

cnn is following developments on that manhunt, and we're going to give you information as we get it. a woman and her daughter came up on one of the shooting scenes. she described what she saw to our lara coates. have a listen. >> we saw a lot of rockets and stuff. we did see people getting patted down. we ended up realizing that they were patting people down as they were coming out, just to make sure they weren't -- whatever was happening in there. at the time, we didn't really know for sure. and i guess -- >> what were the age of people you were seeing coming out? we heard a report of children. you saw children coming out. >> yeah. there was kids. looking back, that was probably the hardest part, just seeing families pouring out of there

there. knowing that that happened in there, while they were probably having a family night. the israeli prime minister has declared all hamas terrorists dead men walking, above ground, below ground and outside gaza. benjamin netanyahu in a televizzed address, says israel military is raining down hellfire on hamas. he added that israel is adding support of world leader because hamas is isis and isis is hamas. the preparations for a grouped incursion are under way. he gave no other details. for the first time since the hamas assault, benjamin netanyahu spoke about his own role in the stuecurity breakdow that led to the worst attack in israeli history. >> translator: citizens of israel, the 7th of october is a

dark day in our history. we'll clarify what happened on the southern border and the area adjacent to the gaza strip. everyone will need to provide answers, myself included. all of this will happen only after the war. peter learner is a member of the defense forces. he joins us now live from tel aviv. thank you for joining us. you had tanks and tens of throws of soldiers on the border with gaza. the offense hasn't happened yet. can you explain why not? >> there are two conditions for a ground oermgs. first would be the government's instruction to mobilize. we heard benjamin netanyahu speak yesterday. that relates to that decision yet to be made.

the second would be the operational or the optimal conditions for advance. we did conduct overnight and you just reported, a large raid, limited in scope. it was an operation intended to create better determines for ground operations if that comes in. we engaged the enemy, killing some terrorists that were planning attacks against us. and we're continuing operations on the ground to be prepared for that decision, if and when it comes. >> can you tell me more about that targeted raid in northern gaza? i understand militant cells, infrastructure frift infrastructure terrorists were killed. do you have numbers? >> we're picking up on the numbers. the fog of were and the immediate aftermath in an operation is clearing.

we had engaged and the forces are reporting successes. no injuries or casualties to our forces. that implies we are operating with strength and precision and looking forward to the potential ground operation. the dimted sweep and clear operation, it's demianing because there are explosive devices. it's seeking out positions, where they can ambush the forces. these types of operations and we've been doing them on a s smaller scale. they will accompany us. they are limited in scope. but they are lethal and targeted missions, intended for laying the groundwork for a ground invasion. >> we have spoken to experts on hamas, who believe the idf could

be talking a in on a trip. do you believe that's the case? >> not at all. the situation on the ground is where hamas decided to launch a war against the people of israel. killing over 4,000 people, and the number goes up as we collect bod d bodice from the field. they signed their own destiny. an organization, a governing authority. a terrorist army. they can no longer be allowed to have the luxuries of government. they can't be allowed to have the position of power to accumulate so much cools of terror. to launch attacks. that's why the ids, israel defense forces is doing what we have supposed to do. taking the war to them and not operating out of a false sense

of luxury against our people. any terrorist operation is a difficult one. they intentionally work against and beyond the realm of laws of conflict. a regular military works within the realm. they put the civil you knows at risk behind hospitals and behind u.n. facilities. we intentionally do the opposite. we tell people to get out of the way. we announce we're coming. even at the risk of setting ourselves up. it's a long battle. this is what the prime minister was talking about and the military. this is a long war. it won't be over. it's not something we're rushing into but going into with a clear

head of our goals, our mission and how it needs to be done. >> i want to ask you about the fuel situation in gaza. fuel is needed to keep the hospitals running. 35 have already closed. cnn spoke to an analyst firm, who says it's impossible to tell from the photo how about much fuel is in those tanks in gaza or what kind of fuel it is. can i ask you what the idf is basing its claims on here that hamas has plenty of fuel? >> we know what is in the tanks. we have intelligence. we sections. we have information. those aren't the only tanks they have in the gaza strip. they have other reservoirs of fuel.

if you have department on fuel energy, even though there's solar energy panels on is the hospitals of gaza. all of the hospitals in gaza have solar panels. why is hamas not giving the fuel to the people of gaza. why is hamas hoarding the fuel they have and not supplying it to the united nations ? and my question to united nations, is why aren't you demanding fuel from hamas. >> one of your leagues is another spokesperson for the idf. told cnn that hamas has been stealing and stockpiling oil. we can't find a tweet, apart from a deleted tweet threat.

can you give us more clarification on that? >> they put out an announcement. and probably for their own safety or caution or intimidation by hamas, they erased the announcement. it goes to show what kind of operational environment the united nations are operating in in gaza. and instead of being whit whitewashers for hamas, they need to be clear on what is happening. they put out the announcement. within a few minutes, they erased it. it's because hamas intimidated them. >> the only other we saw was no looting had taken place in any of its warehouses in the gaza strip. >> they tweeted it out. before they put out any serious

announcement, it goes through approvals. and i can't imagine it was some intern that tweeted out that hamas had come into one of the compounds and had taken fuel and medical supplies. i'm not a spokesperson but they should be demanding that hamas give them fuel to continue the humanitarian operations. the same people that hamas are supposed to be protecting but aren't. >> peter lerner, we appreciate your time. thanks very much. israel is doubling down in its criticism of the u.n. secretary-general. officials are calling for gutierrez's resignation. he called the attacks appalling. adding they followed years of occupation from the

palestinians. the general sought to set the record straight. >> i am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statement of the security council. as if i was justifying acts of terror by hamas. this is false. it was the opposite. let's start with the comments. the u.n. secretary-general trying to clarify his statement. at the same time, we're seeing the security council failing to call for a cease-fire. what's the latest? >> none of this is helping the situation on the ground. as you pressed the idf spokesperson there, you have a

situation on the ground, where they say they are running out of fuel and will not have fuel for operations within hours. it will have to scale down or completely stop. some of the assistance it's doing inside of gaza. for decades, israelis have been at odds with the united nations. it didn't take much to strike a nerve with israelis. this happened on tuesday, when gutierrez was speaking at the u.n. security council. he was critical, saying there are violations taking place in gaza. israelis calling for people to evacuate the north when they continue to bomb the south. >> it is important to ek news the affects by hamas did not

happen in a vacuum. the palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. >> he said none of this justifies the actions of hamas. this set out outrage with israelis. the ambassador to the u.n. said there would no longer be visas issued to u.n. officials. when he was trying to say his words were twisted, that wasn't good enough for israel. the ambassador to the united nations said, quote every person understands that israel has guilt for hamas or shows his understanding for the background leading up to the massacre that hamas perpetrated. >> i want to ask you about the ground invasion.

that is still going to go ahead. the french president saying it would be an error. the u.s. president saying delay it. scott, i appreciate your time. >> you bet. still ahead, the latest on the mass shootings in lewiston, maine. almost two dozen people dead. many more wounded. gunman still at large.

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22 people were killed in a bowling alley and a restaurant. another 50 people injured. a massive manhunt under way for a person of interest. 40-year-old robert card was described as a certified firearms instructor. and a member of the u.s. army reserves. >> police are searching for robert r. card, 4-4-1983 of bowden. he is armed and dangerous. he's a person of interest. that's what we label him at moving forward. if people see him, they should not approach car or make contact with him in any way. >> police released this photo from the scene of one of the shootings there. it urges residents to stay inside with doors locked and report suspicious activity. initial reaction to the news of

the shootings were shock and disbelief. he is confident the police will bring the shooter to justice. here's part of that information. >> it's a confusing situation. we have first responders. action plans that we have impl implemented. it's as organized as one can hope, i suppose. our thoughts and feels and sprars are with those that suffered through this. we are all going to know someone who is a victim of tonight. we're looking at pictures outside a medical center. can you explain the trauma response to this, given the vast number of people who were shot? >> i don't think i can. we have trained professionals here. local law enforcement as well as

counselors and members of local cl clergy. we also have each other. that's a big thing, too. maine turns inward and we support around difficult times. we're going to get through this. this shooting happened at a bowling alley and restaurant around dinner time. what have bns witnesses been teg you? >> as you can imagine, everything is piecemeal. everyone has a different view. the investigation is going to be long. it's more of a shock and disbelief when it first started happening. that's the universal thing i heard from most people tonight. >> i imagine there were young

families out at that time of night, dinner time. any indication of the ages or the age range of the impacted? >> it's all ages. from teenagers up. >> from teenagers up. >> that's all i know on that one. >> have you had updates on the manhunt, to track down this person of interest? this 40-year-old man with military training. >> i've had updates. i'm not going to say what's going on. i know our police are top-notch. we're being aided by state and federal resources. we will find him. still to come, children's

hospitals in gaza may be forced to make stark choices. if they don't get fuel for generat generators, they'll have to decide what to do next. a doctor that leads a neonatal unit joins us live.

welcome back. i'm lindka kincaid. we want to update you on our latest. there's been mass shootings in lewiston. robert card, a certified firearms instructor and a member of the u.s. army reserve. the shootings took place wednesday night at a bowling alley and restaurant. law enforcement officials are telling residents to shelter in place, look their doors and not to contact anyone. only contact police if they have information. more than 2 1/2 weeks in the israel/hamas war, there's

growing concerns about the deepening crisis in gaza. 1.5 million people have been displaced. over 600,000 living in u.n. shelters. the u.n. security council is divided on what to do next. a resolution failed to pass on wednesday. the main health agency in gaza says they will have to stop soon if fuel is not delivered. we are talking with the head of the neonatal intensive care unit in gaza. he's been warning if his hospital runs out of fuel, he cannot keep newborn babies alive. we appreciate your time. describe the situation that you're facing, doctor.

>> thank you very much for having me. we have the second-most neonatal in south gaza. we're now dealing with keeping about 14 kids inside the neonatal icu. ten cases. with a lot of i.v. fluids. so so, it's very bad right now. >> describe the patients, the ages, and the injuries you're seeing.

>> most of our patients are premature patients. we have 15 patients. they need invasive and noninvasive intubation. it's very important for us. and it's crucial for the life of the kids. also, these kids came from gaza. most of the incidents up north can't handle it. so, many kids in our icu is from gaza city. also, their mother delivered in our hospital.

>> we've been told that several hospitals and medical centers have been closed due to a lack of fuel. the w.h.o. saying 35 are not functioning. what is powering the medical center where you work? and how much fuel is left? >> i'm not administrator for the hospital, i don't know exact ly how much fluids are left. but the hospital said to me we are looking at the situation day by day. until now, i don't know exactly how much fuel. but they said to me, within time, we will run out of fuel. so, we do it day by day.

i think that to shut off the fuel, we will go to a dire situation in our icu. half of our babies depend on oxygen. they are on a ventilator. and the ventilator needs electricity to work. maybe it is the death of maybe babies. >> doctor, the idf says that hamas has a stockpile fuel in gaza. are you getting fuel from hamas? >> i don't know about the situation, really. we work in our hospital we don't know about the situation.

i don't know. i can ask authorities. our department doesn't know about things. i deal with the patients. i don't know about the fuel or anything else. you all the best. we appreciate your time. thank you so much. >> thank you. qatar says it's dismayed by the accusation its finances hamas. the israel said qatar could do much more for the release of hostages. qatar finances the terrorist groups and har bars some of its leaders. the foreign minister says the accusations are hurting efforts to free the hostages. >> translator: i would like to point out our astonishment and

our denunciation statements made by some israeli officials, including the false accusations against my country, which are occurring while we are doing all we can to help the release of prisoners and de-escalate the situation. these statements can only be understood under political blackmail and propaganda. we expect all parties to cooperate in helping us ensure their success. >> qatar, hoping to mediate with egypt, are hopeful to release some of the 200 hostages believed to be held by ha mars. the long wait for a u.s. house speaker is over. coming up, republicans unanimously chose one of the youngest members to lead the house conference in the tough challengeses ahead.

back to breaking news coming out of the state of maine. police have identified a person of interest in the two mass shootings wednesday night in the city of lewiston. they are searching for robert

card, who is believed to be armed and dangerous. law enforcement officials say he is a certified firearms instructor and a member of the u.s. army reserves. 22 people were killed at a restaurant and a bowling ally. 50 or 60 people were injured. residents are being asked to shelter in place. and a manhunt for the suspected shooter is under way. many schools in the area has canceled classes for thursday. donald trump has been fined $10,000 for violating a gag order during a fraud trial in new york. trump was called to the witness stand on wednesday to testify by comments he made earlier in the day outside of the courtroom. all parties were barred from speaking about the judge's clerk and staff. here's the comment that got trump in trouble with the court on wednesday. >> this judge is a very partisan

judge, with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is. >> trump's attorney claims the comments were about former trump fixer and lawyer michael cohen, who was sitting next to the judge and testifying for the past two days. but the judge didn't find that explanation creditable. the u.s. house of representatives is up and running after republicans finally settled on mike johnson as house speaker. manu raju reported that they had gotten tired of infighting that paralyzed they're kahcaucus for few weeks. the white house has made clear that further aid to israel and ukraine are top priorities. johnson is an outspoken supporter of president trump. he played a key role in efforts

to overturn trump's election loss in 2020. that is cnn newsroom. thanks so much for your company. i'm lynda kinkade. cnn newsroom continues. stay with us. you're watching cnn.

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