The individual suspected of the tragic killing of 18 people and injuring 13 in a shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine, was discovered dead, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, concluding a 48-hour pursuit following the deadliest instance of gun violence in the state’s history.
Authorities found the body of Robert R. Card, 40, in the woods near the neighboring town of Lisbon Falls, close to where his abandoned vehicle was located shortly after the shooting spree on Wednesday night.
Maine Governor Janet Mills, in a press conference, confirmed the demise of Card, expressing gratitude to the numerous officers from various agencies involved in the pursuit. “Like many people, I am breathing a sigh of relief tonight, knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone… Now is the time to heal,” Mills stated.
According to Mike Sauschuck, Maine’s Department of Public Safety commissioner, Card’s cause of death was an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officials revealed that the U.S. Army reservist had initiated the shooting at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley and subsequently at the Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, where cornhole beanbag-throwing games were taking place. The motive behind the shootings has not yet been disclosed.
The incident and the ensuing manhunt shook the normally vibrant yet peaceful community of Lewiston, a former textile hub and the second most populous city in Maine.
On Friday, Maine State Police lifted a directive that had confined tens of thousands of people to their homes during the ongoing manhunt.
Lewiston is situated on the banks of the Androscoggin River, approximately 35 miles (56 km) north of Portland, the state’s largest city, and almost as far southwest of Augusta, the capital of Maine.
Card, an Army Reserve sergeant from Bowdoin, was identified by authorities as a trained firearms instructor who served as a petroleum supply specialist while on duty at the military reserve base in Saco, Maine.
Law enforcement also disclosed that he had a history of mental illness and was admitted to a psychiatric facility for a fortnight during the summer of 2023 before being discharged.
Following the bloodshed on Wednesday night, authorities circulated surveillance camera images of a bearded man, wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and jeans, carrying what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle at one of the crime scenes.
Initial leads pointed to Lisbon, approximately 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Lewiston, where Maine State Police located a white SUV believed to have been used by Card to escape, parked at a boat launch on the river. Public records indicated that he owned at least one vessel manufactured by Sea-Doo, known for its jet ski-style personal watercraft.
Lisbon Falls, where the body was found, is the next town along the river. As part of the search for Card, police scoured the waters of the Androscoggin River with divers and sonar on Friday and dispatched teams of officers for door-to-door canvassing in the neighborhoods to gather more clues and potential eyewitness accounts.
