Robert Card, suspect in Maine mass shootings, found dead after 48-hour manhunt

Robert Card, the suspect in mass shootings in the US state of Maine who allegedly killed 18 people and injured 13 others after going on a rampage in the city of Lewiston has been found dead, on Friday (Oct 27), Governor Janet Mills confirmed. This comes after a days-long massive manhunt across the state by law enforcement in the United States.

What happened?

According to reports, the 40-year-old’s body was discovered in the woods near the neighbouring town of Lisbon which is some 13 kilometres away from Lewiston where the most lethal episode of gun violence in the state’s history took place.

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The location was also where the police found his abandoned vehicle shortly after the shooting spree on Wednesday night. “He is dead,” Mills told reporters during a press conference, thanking the hundreds of officers from various agencies involved in the search.

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She added, “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 also said that she has informed President Joe Biden and the state’s lawmakers of the news.

The confirmation by the state’s governor came after multiple reports citing unnamed law enforcement sources, said Card was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Days-long manhunt

The mass shooting in Maine had prompted an extensive 48-hour manhunt which involved hundreds of officers from an array of law enforcement agencies from across the US ranging from local police and sheriff’s deputies to the FBI and the United States Coast Guard.

As of early Friday, authorities said they were chasing down more than 530 tips and leads on Card’s possible whereabouts and even deployed personnel along the Androscoggin River in nearby Lisbon where divers used sonar to look for evidence – or a body.

Officials had also lifted the shelter-in-place order for the area around Lewiston that had shuttered schools and businesses keeping tens of thousands of people in their homes since the suspect was still at large.

All 18 victims identified

The law enforcement officers also identified all 18 people, onFriday, who were killed after the 40-year-old had allegedly attacked a restaurant and bowling alley.

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The victims included a husband and wife in their 70s, a 14-year-old boy killed alongside his father, a volunteer bowling coach and a manager at the bar, which the suspect is reported to have visited before.

Card is said to have killed seven people at Just-In-Time Recreation and another eight people at Schemengees Bar and Grille.

(With inputs from agencies)

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