The search for a suspected gunman responsible for the deaths of 18 people in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, has come to a somber end.
During a press conference on Friday, officials confirmed that Robert Card, a 40-year-old resident of Bowdoin, Maine, was discovered lifeless in Lisbon, Maine, as stated by Governor Janet Mills.
The suspect, Robert Card, was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to State Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck. Sauschuck did not reveal the precise location of Card’s body but mentioned that it was close to a river in Lisbon Falls.
Authorities familiar with the situation informed The New York Times that Card was located near the Maine Recycling facility, where he had previously worked. This center is situated next to the Androscoggin River.
Card, who served as a firearms instructor and was believed to be part of the US Army Reserve, had evaded capture since the shooting occurred late Wednesday night at a local bar and bowling alley in Lewiston.
Police had urged residents in various Maine cities, including Lewiston, Lisbon, and Bowdoin, to shelter in place as authorities scoured for the suspect.
The Canada Border Services Agency issued an “armed and dangerous” alert to officers stationed along the Canada-US border, while the Coast Guard dispatched a patrol boat along the Kennebec River on Thursday morning.
The Lewiston Police Department had released photos of the suspect brandishing a weapon inside a business establishment around 8 p.m. on Wednesday when he was still at large.
The shootings took place at the Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar & Grille, approximately four miles apart, resulting in a total of 18 fatalities.
Seven individuals lost their lives at the bowling alley, and eight more at the bar, according to The Associated Press, with three additional fatalities occurring in the hospital.
The victims ranged in age from 14-year-old Aaron Winthrop, who tragically died while playing in a youth bowling league, to 76-year-old Bob Violette and his wife, Lucille, who passed away at the bowling alley. Bob Violette was a volunteer coach for a youth bowling league.
The list of victims, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety, includes Ronald G. Morin, Peyton Brewer-Ross, Joshua A. Seal, Bryan M. MacFarlane, Joseph Lawrence Walker, Arthur Fred Strout, Maxx A. Hathaway, Stephen M. Vozzella, Thomas Ryan Conrad, Michael R. Deslauriers II, Jason Adam Walker, Tricia C. Asselin, William A. Young, William Frank Brackett, and Keith D. Macneir.
Maine’s gun laws are known for their leniency, with the state’s long-standing culture of hunting and sport shooting. Over half of households in the state own firearms, according to the Boston University School of Public Health. Maine does not require permits for firearm carrying, allowing both open and concealed carry, while also lacking mandatory background checks on gun sales and a ban on high-capacity magazines.
In a statement, Governor Mills emphasized that “Lewiston is a special place” and that the tragic events did not reflect the community.
