Lewiston, Maine native and actor Patrick Dempsey said he is "deeply saddened" after a mass shooting in his home town in at least two locations left 18 people dead and others injured to various degrees.
The "Grey’s Anatomy" star said in a post on social media that he is "shocked" by the "tragedy" in his hometown.
Dempsey wrote, "Maine's great strength is it's sense of community." He said now the community is being asked to "come together to support everyone that has been devastated by this senseless act."
By Friday, family members had confirmed the identities of the shooting victims who died. Maine's deaf community was grieving for the loss of several members of its community in the shootings.
Maine's biggest mass shooting will require community healing
The heads of the Maine Crisis Line and Mobile Crisis Team tell Scripps News they've had a 21% increase in calls in the past 24 hours.
The actor founded the Dempsey Center after his mother's struggles with cancer — the organization is a nonprofit with locations in Lewiston and South Portland.
Dempsey often returns to his hometown for an event that raises money for cancer research through running, walking and bike events.
The mass shooting in Lewiston marks the 36th time a mass killing has happened in the U.S. this year.
On Friday, city Commissioner Mike Sauschuck projected images of the victims as he read their names and held a moment of silence.
Sauschuck said, "We want residents to remain vigilant" as law enforcement continued to try to locate suspect Robert Card after discovering a car connected to him.
Divers continued to search the Androscoggin River near a boat launch in Lisbon, the location where Card's vehicle was found.
