Robert Card, the suspect in the Maine mass shooting, was found dead on Friday, ending the search that put the entire state of Maine unsettled for the last two days.
Gov. Janet Mills reported that Card was found dead in Lisbon Falls, Maine.
Maine Mass Shooting Suspect Robert Card Found Dead
Police tape blocks off the street near Schemengees Bar and Grille in Lewiston, Maine, on October 27, 2023, in the aftermath of a mass shooting. Hundreds of police in the US state of Maine hunted October 26, 2023 for a fugitive gunman who killed 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar, as President Joe Biden mourned "yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting." Police named the suspect as 40-year-old Robert Card -- seen in surveillance footage pointing a semi-automatic rifle as he walked into the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley.
According to Politico, Commissioner of Maine Department of Public Safety Mike Sauschuck reported that Card was found at 7:45 p.m. near the Androscoggin River of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The authorities searched in the woods and hundreds of acres of family-owned property. The officials sent dive teams with sonar to the bottom of a river.
On the second day of their in-depth search, the authorities found a possible suicide note. The note was addressed to his son and did not include any motive for the shooting. The police found Card's body at a recycling facility where he recently worked. The law enforcement officials were not advised to disclose further details about the investigation to the public.
A gun was found in Card's car, which was uncovered at a boat ramp. The federal agents were testing the gun to see if the weapon was used during the mass shooting. The authorities have also lifted the shelter-in-place order to the residents on Friday evening. Sauschuck released the names and photos of the residents who died in the mass shooting, with a total of 16 males and 2 females, ages ranging from 14 to 76.
Since the Wednesday night shootings, murder warrants have already been issued against him. The officials said they had not seen Card since his vehicle was left at a boat ramp on Wednesday.
On Friday night, Maine held an online vigil with local clergy members, prayer, and music. The residents expressed their agony through chat postings and admitted they were angry, grieving, and heartbroken.
"I lost 2 people that I cared truly about and a close family friend that is currently fighting for his life in ICU. My heart's shattered," Victoria, one poster wrote.
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Who is Robert Card?
Card, 40, was a U.S. Army reservist who underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after he began acting erratically during training, wherein he said he kept on hearing voices and threatened to shoot up a military base.
According to the Toronto Star, Card lived with his family in Bowdown, Maine. The neighbors said his family owns hundreds of acres in the area and a local sawmill.
Card was training with the Army Reserve's 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in West Point, New York, and the commanders expressed their concerns about Card's situation.
The Maine mass shooting marked the 36th mass killing in the United States this year, as reported by USA Today.
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