President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit Lewiston, Maine, later this week to mourn with the community after the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history. The White House confirmed on Wednesday that the President and First Lady would pay their respects to the victims, meet with first responders, and grieve with families and community members. The shooting took place on October 25 at a bar and a bowling alley, resulting in the death of 18 people and injuring 13 others.

The alleged gunman, 40-year-old Robert Card, was found dead of an apparent suicide after a dayslong manhunt. The manhunt had led officials to cancel school and order residents to stay indoors. Investigators are still working to establish a motive for the shooting but have increasingly focused on Card's deteriorating mental health. Card was a firearms instructor and his family had expressed concerns about his mental health to the local sheriff five months before the shooting. He had also undergone a mental health evaluation after displaying erratic behavior at a training facility last summer.

Thousands of people attended vigils for the victims over the weekend, and stay-at-home orders were lifted allowing residents to return to work and school on Monday. President Biden was alerted about the shooting while hosting a White House state dinner honoring the bonds between the United States and Australia. He later spoke with Maine Governor Janet Mills and the state's representatives in Congress to offer his condolences.

In a written statement, President Biden condemned the shooting as "senseless and tragic" and called on Republicans in Congress to support legislation that would ban assault-style weapons, implement universal background checks, require safe storage of guns, and end immunity for gun manufacturers. He also ordered that U.S. flags on public property be flown at half-staff through Monday as a mark of respect for the victims.

The White House announced that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Lewiston, Maine, on Friday to visit the city in the aftermath of the mass shooting. The shooting, carried out by Robert Card, a 40-year-old U.S. Army reservist, left 18 people dead at a bowling alley and a bar. Card took his own life inside a cargo trailer parked at a recycling plant where he had previously worked. The President and First Lady will pay their respects to the victims and meet with first responders, nurses, and other frontline workers involved in the response to the tragedy.

Maine Governor Janet Mills had invited President Biden to visit the city, noting his comforting presence and ability to offer support to grieving families. The invitation was appreciated by the White House, although it was not directly confirmed if the President would accept the invitation. The visit comes after a manhunt for the shooter that lasted over 48 hours before Card's body was found near the shooting sites. Newly-released court documents revealed that Card believed locals were spreading conspiracies about him, leading to the shooting.

Authorities have faced criticism for missing multiple chances to intervene and potentially prevent the mass shooting. Card's family had expressed concerns about his mental health and access to firearms to the local sheriff in May. The Maine National Guard also raised concerns in September about Card potentially carrying out a mass shooting. The Maine State Police has faced criticism for their response to the immediate aftermath of the shootings.

In a troubling development, an 18-year-old Maine teenager named Michael Bowden was arrested for threatening to carry out a "Lewiston Part 2" on social media. Bowden posted a photo of himself holding a rifle and ammunition in a Walmart parking lot, captioning it with the threat. He was charged with domestic violence terrorizing and aggravated reckless conduct. Police revealed that Bowden had been fired from Walmart and had made multiple visits to the store's parking lot in recent days.

President Biden's visit to Lewiston aims to offer comfort and support to the community in the wake of the devastating shooting. It also highlights the urgent need for action on gun control, as the President called on Republicans in Congress to pass legislation addressing the issue. The visit will be a somber occasion as the President and First Lady pay tribute to the victims, meet with those affected by the tragedy, and express solidarity with the community.