Newt Gingrich Calls For Relaxed Gun Laws Moments After Maine Shooting Leaves 18 Dead

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich advocated for lax gun laws in response to the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, that left at least 18 dead and dozens more injured on Wednesday night.

"Well, I mean, first of all, it's horrible," Gingrich said while chatting with Fox News host Sean Hannity about the tragic events that unfolded.

"And I think that we're gonna have to really think through a better method of protecting people. Frankly, in states that have conceal carry and other permits, constitutional carry permits, you have a much more rapid response to these [kinds] of people who are crazy."

The mass shooting in Lewiston stands as the deadliest this year, RadarOnline.com has learned, after a gunman brandishing an AR-15 opened fire at a bowling alley and unleashed a hail of bullets at a bar.

Authorities named 40-year-old Robert Card, an Army reservist and firearms instructor, as the suspect. He is still at large and has been described as "armed and dangerous."

The gunman's murderous spree began at 6:56 p.m. and police rushed to the scene at Sparetime bowling alley and arrived around 7:15 p.m. They soon after were called to respond to a second location four miles away, Schemengee's bar and grill.

"We have no idea what this person's motivation was," Gingrich continued. "We have to have a greater ability for our citizens to protect themselves because it's clear that law enforcement comes in after the massacre. But law enforcement's almost never there to stop the massacre."

The March to the Majority: The Real Story of the Republican Revolution author said that has been proven true in America, Europe, Israel, and other countries. "So, I think we have to think about a whole new strategy because these [kinds] of people are extraordinarily dangerous, are willing to kill others, have no sense of decency."

"And frankly, you have to stop them as early as possible to minimize the loss of individual lives," Gingrich concluded.

Late last night, Card's abandoned car was discovered in the town of Lisbon, near a boat dock seven miles from Lewiston.

Police have told residents to shelter in place and stay inside with the doors locked as a massive search remains underway. More than 100 investigators, both local and federal, are working to locate the suspect who has been deemed a person of interest.

Several colleges in and around the area are closed today, notifying students with an emergency alert of an active shooter.

Bates College revealed one employee "was present at one of the shooting locations and was injured, but is expected to make a full recovery."

"To the best of our knowledge, two students were also near one of the crime scenes but were unharmed," read a statement on their website.

Visit the all-new RADAR SPORTS for all the on and off-field activities of the biggest names in the games.

As a manhunt continues, locals have been urged to call authorities "if you see something suspicious, if something isn't right," Chief Ryan McGee told reporters Thursday. "If you look out in your yard, and you're like, that door wasn't open or that trailer wasn't positioned that way — if you see anything suspicious, please call us."