The man sought in the mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar that killed 18 people and injured 13 was found dead on Friday, concluding a search that left the entire state of Maine on edge for the past two days.
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) – The man sought in the mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar that killed 18 people and injured 13 was found dead on Friday, concluding a search that left the entire state of Maine on edge for the past two days.
Robert Card, who was wanted in connection with the shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, was found dead in Lisbon Falls, Maine, said Governor Janet Mills in a press conference on Friday night.
Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said Card was found at 7:45 p.m. near the Androscoggin River with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He refused to provide a specific address.
The police found Card’s body at a recycling facility where he had recently worked, said an officer to the AP. The employee was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Card, a 40-year-old resident of Bowdoin, Maine, was a U.S. Army reservist who underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after displaying erratic behavior during training, according to a U.S. official speaking to the Associated Press.
Card had been wanted since the Wednesday night shooting, and homicide warrants were issued against him.
A nationwide police bulletin issued shortly after the attack stated that Card had been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for two weeks last summer after “hearing voices and making threats to shoot” at a military base.
A U.S. official said Card was training at the U.S. Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in West Point, New York, when commanders grew concerned.
State police took Card to the Keller Army Community Hospital in West Point for evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the information and spoke to the Associated AP on condition of anonymity.
Authorities combed through the forest and hundreds of acres of family properties, deployed sonar-equipped dive teams to the river’s bottom, and examined a possible suicide note on Friday, the second day of their intense search for Card.
Authorities dismantled their command post on Friday evening, nearly 48 hours after the shooting.
The names and photos of the 16 men and 2 women who died were released when State Commissioner of Public Safety Mike Sauschuck called for a moment of silence during a press conference. Their ages ranged from 14 to 76 years old.
Police reported not having seen suspect Card since his vehicle was left at a boat ramp on Wednesday, immediately after the shooting.
Authorities say Card, who had firearms training, opened fire at the bar and the bowling alley on Wednesday in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city.
The city held an online vigil on Friday night with local clergy, prayer, and music. Residents expressed their shock and grief in chat messages, describing themselves as angry, mourning, tired, and heartbroken. Those watching from home were encouraged to light candles.
One poster, Victoria, wrote, “I lost two people I really cared about and a close family friend who is currently fighting for their life in the ICU. My heart is shattered.”
Police and other law enforcement officers were seen in various areas of the region on Friday. Divers searched the water near a boat in Lisbon and a farm in the same city. At times throughout the day, police vehicles were seen speeding through various towns, lights flashing and sirens blaring.
A weapon was found in Card’s car, which was discovered at a boat ramp, and federal agents were testing it to determine if it was used in the shooting, said two officers to the Associated AP. Officials were not authorized to publicly discuss the details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Authorities have publicly stated that the shooter used at least one rifle but have not disclosed any other details, including how the suspect obtained the firearm.
Authorities found a suicide note at a home associated with Card on Thursday, addressed to his son, said officials. They said it provided no specific motive for the shooting. Authorities also recovered Card’s cellphone at home, making the search more challenging as authorities routinely use phones to track suspects, officials said.
Federal agents conducted several searches at properties associated with Card on Thursday, collecting various items, including electronics, according to officials. Investigators are also reviewing Card’s financial information and examining his social media posts, writings, and mental health history, officials said.
The Cards have lived in Bowdoin for generations, neighbors said, and several family members own hundreds of acres in the area. The family owned the local sawmill and years ago donated the land for a local church.
“This is his stronghold,” said Richard Goddard, who lives on the road where a search took place on Thursday, referring to the suspect. “He knows every nook to hide, every thicket.”
Family members of Card told federal investigators that he had recently discussed hearing voices and became more fixated on the bowling alley and bar, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. When he was hospitalized in July in New York, Card told military authorities that he was hearing voices and said he wanted to harm other soldiers, officials said.
Police said on Thursday that Card would be charged with 18 counts of murder.
The victims of the shootings include Bob Violette, 76, a retiree who coached a youth bowling league and was described as dedicated, approachable, and kind. Auburn City Councilor Leroy Walker told the media that his son, Joe, the bar and grill manager, died while going after the shooter with a butcher knife. Peyton Brewer-Ross was a dedicated pipefitter at Bath Iron Works, whose death leaves a void in the lives of his partner, daughter, and friends, members of his union said.
The youth bowling league manager pledged that the league would survive despite the devastating pain its members were feeling.
The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf said the shootings killed at least four members of its community, many of whom were ardent advocates for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
The attacks shocked a state of only 1.3 million people that has one of the lowest homicide rates in the country: 29 murders in all of 2022. Governor Janet Mills said on Friday that many Mainers will know someone who has died.
“It’s often said that our state is a ‘small big town’ because Maine is a very close-knit community. As a result, many of us knew the victims personally, including me,” she said in a statement. “Tonight, I ask the people of Maine to join me in reading their stories, learning who they were, celebrating them as beloved individuals, and mourning them as irreplaceable.”
Schools, public buildings, and many businesses remained closed on Friday. Bates College in Lewiston canceled classes and postponed the inauguration of the school’s first black president.
The shootings mark the 36th mass murder in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by the Associated AP and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.