The hero of the Maine massacre: Bowling alley manager led ‘countless’ kids to safety while being fired upon by gunman – as he fights for his life in hospital after being blasted in the legs

• Sparetime bowling alley manager Thomas Giberti led children to safety during the massacre before being shot in the legs
• Police are searching for the gunman, Robert Card, after the shooting killed 18 and injured 13
• Follow MailOnline’s liveblog for updates on the manhunt after Maine shooting 

The manager at Sparetime bowling alley led ‘countless’ children to safety before he was shot in the legs during the Maine massacre that left 18 dead and 13 injured. 

Thomas Giberti risked his life directing kids to a secure area in the bowling alley while under fire during the shooting, according to New England Bowling.

The shooter, Robert Card, walked into the Lewiston, Maine bowling alley carrying an AR-15-style rifle around 7pm Wednesday and began firing while a children’s bowling league was going on.

Giberti’s nephew, Will Bourgault, said on Facebook that his uncle was struck several times and his fighting for his life in the hospital.

‘My Uncle was one of the victim’s working at Sparetime bowling ally in Lewiston, Maine. He was shot multiple times in his legs and is currently in surgery,’ said Bourgault.

Thomas Giberti (pictured) is the hero bowling alley manager who led children to safety during Wednesday night’s shooting

The suspected shooter, Robert Card, entered the bowling alley around 7pm on Wednesday carrying an AR-15-style rifle 

Tributes to the manager have been pouring in online and people were not surprised to learn of his selfless act.

‘For those of you who don’t know Tom, he’s a bright light in a dark room and it doesn’t surprise me he was selfless in the face of chaos and tragedy,’ said Will Damon

Erin Merrill said, ‘I’ve known Tom most my life. He is one of my favorite people, I always go and see him every time I go to the bowling alley. Praying for him.’

Parents and children at the pooling alley recounted the horrifying experience during the massacre.  

Lewiston mother, Riley Dumont, was in the bowling alley with her daughter, and her parents, including her retired police officer father who leapt into action and saved several people’s lives.

‘I heard a really loud bang. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but my dad looked at me,’ Dumont told ABC.

‘Next thing I know, he was just taking the group that we were in and just corralling us in the corner,’ she said.

Giberti led ‘countless’ children to safety inside the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley on Wednesday night. The venue is pictured above

Survivors and bereaved family members have begun speaking out following the bloody massacre at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, the state’s second city

The body of a victim in the Maine massacre shooting which killed at least 18 people has been wheeled out of the bar targeted by the gunman – as cops fear he may have crossed into Massachusetts with a ‘nightscope’

The rampage has left at least 18 people dead and 13 more injured. Officials were seen wheeling a body bag out of Schemengees on Thursday morning

‘He put tables over us and just made sure we were safe. He just kind of went into action at that point. It felt like it lasted forever.’

‘I kind of laid on top of (my daughter), and my mom was kind of on top of me. We had two other kids with us and two other mothers as well.’

10-year-old Zoey questioned ‘why do people do this’ as she sat beside her mother the morning after they survived the shocking attack.

Zoey’s mother Meghan Hutchinson said her daughter was ‘grazed by a bullet’ amid the terrifying rampage.

‘She was grazed by a bullet while we were running,’ Hutchinson told ABC.

‘We were in the back room. Another child came in whose arm had a massive – was bleeding profusely.

‘So we barricaded in there and another parent was in the room with me. She had a phone and she called 911.’

Police reported seven of the gunshot victims were found at the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley: one female and six males.

After the bowling alley, Card took his reign of terror to Schemengees Bar and Grille where another eight victims were found: seven males inside and one outside. 

Lewiston, a small city of about 38,000, is on lockdown as police hunt for Card who was sectioned this summer with mental health issues. He previously reported hearing voices and threatened to shoot up his National Guard base in Saco, Maine

Zoey, 10, questioned ‘why do people do this’ as she sat beside her mother Meghan Hutchinson the morning after they survived the shocking attack at Just-In-Time Recreation in Lewiston 

Police blocked access to the road to Sparetime Recreation on Thursday. Police reported seven of the gunshot victims were found there: one female and six males

Maine Police Colonel William Ross said only eight of the 18 victims have been identified as of Thursday at 11am EST. 

Card has been charged with eight counts of murder while authorities work to identify the other 10 victims.

Police are searching for the gunman, a previously sectioned Army reserve firearms instructor, who is on the run.

Follow MailOnline’s liveblog for updates on the manhunt after Maine shooting. 

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