Tonight on the reidout this is a dark time in america. We have a lot of problems. And were really, really hopeful and prayerful. Prayer is appropriate in a time like this. That the evil can end and the senseless violence can stop. Prayers but no actual plan from the new house speaker. Following yet another mass slaughter of human beings. This time, in lewiston, maine. Tonight, were learning more about the far right extreme views of speaker mike johnson, among other things hes an Election Denier and wants to ban abortion nationwide. And thats really bad for republicans heading into the next election. Plus, special counsel jack smith has had enough of trumps big mouth. But will a judge agree to smiths request to reimpose a Gag Order On Criminal Defendant Trump . But we begin tonight with yet another devastating mass killing in america. At 6 56 last night, just before we went on the air, Police Responded to a report of an active shooter at the sparetime recreation Bowling Alley in lewiston, maine. Wednesday night happens to be youth bowling night. At 7 08 p. M. , roughly ten minutes later, Police Responded to another report of an active shooter, this time at shu menges bar and grill. 18 innocent people were dead and 13 wounded. She added this. Lewiston is where i worked for years, where i met and married my husband and where our girls went to school. I love this place, just as i love our whole state, with my entire heart. This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security. No city does. No state, no people. This Attack Strikes at the very heart of who we are. State police say seven people died at the Bowling Alley. Six males and one female. Eight people died at the bar. Seven males inside the bar and one outside. Last night, leroy walker was anxiously waiting for news about his son joey. The bar manager at schemengees. This morning, he learned joey did not make it. He told Nbcs Lester Holt what state police told joeys wife. Joey walker was shot to death. Shot to death, but then he went in to telling her that he died as a hero because he picked up a Butcher Knife from somewhere, you know, he has all that stuff near the bar anyway. And he tried to go at the gunman to stop him from shooting anybody else. The gunman shot him twice through this. Did it change your pain at all, knowing that . It made it worse. Yeah, it made it worse. Survivors described a horrifying scene of chaos and confusion. Were inside, and just bowling. Out of nowhere, he came in. There was a loud pop. Thought it was a balloon. I had my back turned to the door. As soon as i turned and saw it was not a balloon, he was holding a weapon, i just booked it down the lane and slid basically into where the pins are and climbed up the machine and was on top of the machines for about ten minutes until the cops got there. Frustrated. Worried. We know a close friend has passed. At this hour, a massive multistate manhunt on land and water is under way for the suspect. U. S. Army reservist robert card, who was wanted for murder. Schools, doctors offices and Grocery Stores closed, and people stayed behind locked doors as far away as 50 miles from the shooting scene. Card is considered Armed And Dangerous and should not be approached, according to two senior Law Enforcement officials. The Assault Rifle, the Assault Style rifle weapon he used was punchlsed legally this year. Nbc news has learned card was sent by his Military Unit Commanders for psychiatric treatment this summer after they became concerned about his claims that he was hearing voices, and for threats he made to the base. Card spent about two weeks undergoing Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment and was released. Its not clear what further action was taken. This was first reported by the washington post. The Associated Press spoke to a u. S. Official on condition of anonymity who said that card was an Army Reservist who had been taken by police for an evaluation after military officials became concerned that he was acting erratically in midjuly. The official said military commanders became concerned about cards safety and asked for the police to be called. Wednesdays shooting was the countrys 36th Mass Killing this year, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and usa today, in partnership with northeastern university. Until last night, maine was designated by the fbi as the safest state in america. President biden who has been in touch with state and local officials, mourned the victims and urged republican lawmakers to fulfill their duty to protect the American People by passing a Bill Banning Assault Weapons and high capacity magazines. And he urged them to enact gun safety measures. One of maines most famous voices, novelist stephen king, tweeded about those very republicans, writing, quote, the shootings occurred les than 15 miles from where i live. I went to high school in lisbon. Its the rapidfire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder. Unquote. Lets bring in nbc news correspondent george solis in lewiston, maine, where a News Conference wrapped up a short time ago. What did we learn in the News Conference . Reporter basically a lot of the sentiment from elected leaders at this is such a dark day in maines history. In almost one day, they nearly met the number of homicides this entire state had last year, which was 29. The number of casualties here really unfathomable. Behind me, there is a Law Enforcement presence at the hospital. The juxtaposition of a hospital that is receiving care and long guns. In the last hour, we learned investigators are combing through robert cards life. Authorities are also saying they found a note inside of his home and what that means, theyre still trying to decipher. All of this, of course, trying to play a bigger part in what led to the shooting. A question, of course, on the minds of money in not just this community but the surrounding communities here, which tonight remain on lock down as a result of this extensive manhunt. Local, state, and federal partners, as you know, here combing every nook and cranny, if you will, to try and find where this suspect may have gone, if he is even still here or even alive. We talk so often not just about the shooter in these cases but the families, the ones that are reeling, the ones that have lost. As you heard in lesters interview, thats just one story of many. Today, i spoke with a relative of a family who lost their patriarch, their father, and his son, who died in that Bowling Alley. We heard stories of people hiding behind bowling pins in that scene. And its so hard to fathom what these people experienced. They were there for this family night at the Bowling Alley, and then the shooting took place. We also talked to a mother today who was carrying a gun around for protection because she feels that she has to have that gun to make sure she can protect her kids should the suspect appear, joy. Nbcs george solis, thank you very much. Let me bring in senator chris murphy of connecticut. Senator, unfortunately, usually when you and i get a chance to talk, its on an occasion like this. I want to let you react to just some of the details here. People having to hide behind bowling pins. Joeys father, who is a manager there, saying that he did try to help. He stepped in, he had a Butcher Knife. Obviously, that is nothing compared to an Assault Rifle. Just your reaction to this happening again. None of this is inevitable, joy. None of this is bad luck. This is a choice that we make in this country to live like this. The entirety of lewiston is locked down tonight. Everybody in that community is trembling with fear, but that reality plays out every day for kids who live in dangerous neighborhoods, kids who fear for their life every morning and afternoon when they walk to and from school. Every child in this country now has to go through mass shooter drills. This is literally corrupting the soul of america. And for what . For what . In my state, we dont allowia to buy these semiautomatic Assault Weapons and i dont hear a lot of complaints from people in my state who want to hunt or shoot for support or protect their home. Its time for the country to wake up to its a choice we make as leaders and voters to accept this reality. If we ban these Assault Weapons, if we had stricter universal Background Checks we just wouldnt have to live with this epidemic of almost daily mass slaughter in this nation. So im furious. Every single day, but particularly on days like this when another community is going through what my community of sandy hook and thousands of others have had to go through across the country. Everyones thought in their minds that sandy hook would be it because were talking about little kids and maybe somebody would do something. I will note there are 21 states that have extended background states that go beyond the federal requirements. Maine is not one of them. In fact, maine has tried to do some, you know, cnges in terms of its gun laws but they dont allow guns in k12 schools. They doot have a standard your ground law. They do have secure storage, but they dont havehings like Background Checks, red fla laws, high capacity magazine proh prohibitions. That kind of thing. I want to have you react to another thing that my producer has handed me from military. Com. This seems related. There was a bill that receny passed that gives veterans who are deemed mentally incompetent easier access to guns. Senate approval seems pending. The Senate Approved a measure that would ease some veterans access to guns brushing aside objections from most democrats and the department of affairs. This was a person who had been deemed to have some mental issues. What do you make of the fact some of your colleagues want to make it easier for those folks to get guns . This amendment youre talking about passed yesterday afternoon, just hours before this shooting. And what this proposal does that is now baked in to the Senate Appropriations bill that is speeding towards passage would allow veterans who have been deemed mentally incompetent, onethird of them who are schizophrenic, to regain their gun rights. People who are actively suicidal, who have massive serious cases of ptds, would be able to get their weapons back. For three decades, we have said veterans who have been deemed mentally incompetent shouldnt get weapons. I thought we agreed that if youre mentally ill, you shouldnt get your hands on a gun. Maybe now, after this individual, where a mentally ill individual who was a member of the military carried out this crime, maybe we will think twice about passing into law the amendment that we passed yesterday. It is just amazing to me that this country and many of my colleagues are still so cavalier about allowing people with serious Mental Illness, in this case, mentally incompetent veterans, to have guns. It just feels like this country wants us to be more careful about it and Congress Needs to get with the program. I will note that the member of congress who represents this area where the shooting took place has now said apologized to his constituents for not supporting stronger gun legislation. I think we might have the sound of that. Lets take a listen. I have opposed efforts to ban Deadly Weapons of war like the Assault Rifle used to carry out this crime. The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure. Which is why i now call on the United States congress to ban Assault Rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of lewiston, maine. For the good of my community, i will work with any colleague to get this done in the time that i have left in congress. Your reaction. Well, i applaud representative golden for changing his mind based upon the facts that he has seen. For those of us who have lived through these experiences, who have spent time with the victims of these Mass Shootings, especially Mass Shootings involving Assault Weapons. Its just common sense to get rid of these weapons. Its hard to describe what a body looks like when its been torn apart by bullets coming out of an assault weapon, especially if its a childs body. But you know what, i wish it didnt take a mass shooting in a congressmans district for them to be converted. Its going to happen in your district, in your state sooner or later. So why wait until it happens to you . Why not get out ahead of this, being for an Assault Weapons ban before it happens in your state or your district is what may prevent it from happening in your state or your district. So listen, im glad for representative goldens declaration tonight. We are a little closer to passing Assault Weapons ban in the house and senate because of his decision, but i wish folks got there before it happened to them in their community. Yeah, and its unlikely Something Like that would pass in the house as its currently constructed now. Let me take you from the sublime to the ridiculous. This is fox news a set of their reactions to the shooting. We need serious law and order. That means that we need to Defund Sanctuary Cities but that means we need to acknowledge the cancer in america that is mental health. We have to have a greater ability for our citizens to protect themselves because its clear that Law Enforcement comes in after the massacre. When Something Like this happens, what is your plan . What do you do . I have a personal security plan. I train in Mixed Martial Arts. Im a big believer in the Second Amendment for a long time. Sean hannity believes his Mixed Martial Arts training will protect him from a mass shooting. Your thoughts . Yeah, this is like so tired, they pull out these tropes, shooting after shooting. Yes, no, Mixed Martial Arts doesnt do you much good against an ar15. But frankly, neither does having a weapon. Having a ton of guns in your community safer, america would be the Safest Community in the world. Inside the United States, states and communities that have more guns are more violent. And so its just a myth that having more guns keeps you safer. And this idea that its Mental Illness, yes, of course, we have a Mental Illness epidemic in this country. Of course we should treat people with Mental Illness, but we dont have more Mental Illness than europe or asia. We dont spent less money on treating than those other countries but we have all the gun violence. Why is that . Because in this country if youre having a break with reality, we allow you like you can get your hands on a bottle of water, to get your hands on a weapon of mass destruction. Thats why we have all the Mass Shootings. I would love for there to be some originality in the defenses that the right and fox news gives to the state of Mass Shootings in america. Its the same Stuff Shooting after shooting, all of it is Talking Points from the nra. The American Public knows this. Thats why theyre increasingly deselecting from Congress People who stand with the nra and electing people who want to change gun laws. Senator chris murphy, i want to thank you. I want to put up the list of the top five countries with the highest number of civilian firearms. And were right up there, way, way at the top. There is no other country that is not at war that you can go to where you have to worry about being shot in a Bowling Alley. Senator chris murphy, thank you very much. Up next on the reidout, despite voters dissatisfaction with the upending of roe v. Wade, House Republicans managed to elect the most antichoice speaker possible ahead of the 2024 election. Make that make sense. The reidout continues after this. After this birds flyin high, you know how i feel. Breeze driftin on by. You know how i feel. You dont have to take. [coughing]. Copd sitting down. Its a new