Maine mass shooting suspect found dead, official says

Card, 40, of Bowdoin, Maine, was a U.S. Army reservist who underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after he began behaving erratically during training, an official said American to the Associated Press.

Card had been wanted since Wednesday night’s shooting and warrants were issued for his arrest.

A bulletin sent to police across the country shortly after the attack said Card was committed to a mental health facility for two weeks last summer after “hearing voices and threats to shoot” on a military base. .

A U.S. official said Card was training with the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment at West Point, N.Y., when commanders became concerned about him subject.

State police took Card to Keller Military Community Hospital in West Point for evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the information publicly and spoke to The Associated Press under the guise of anonymity.

Authorities combed woods and hundreds of acres of homestead, sent sonar diving teams to the bottom of a river and examined a possible suicide note Friday, the second day of their intensive search for Card.

Authorities cleared their shelter Friday evening, nearly 48 hours after the shooting.

The names and photos of the 16 men and 2 women who died were released as state Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck called for a moment of silence during a news conference. Their ages ranged from 14 to 76 years old.

Law enforcement officials said they had not seen suspect Card since his vehicle was left at a boat ramp Wednesday, shortly after the shooting.

Authorities say Card, who has firearms training, opened fire at a bar and bowling alley Wednesday in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city.

The city held an online vigil Friday evening with local clergy, prayer and music. Residents expressed their shock and pain in messages posted to the chat, describing themselves as angry, grieving, tired and heartbroken. Those watching at home were asked to light candles.

One poster, Victoria, wrote: “I have lost two people I really cared about and a close family friend who is currently fighting for his life in intensive care. My heart is broken.

Police and other law enforcement officers were spotted in several areas of the region on Friday. Divers searched the water near a boat launch in Lisbon and an agricultural business in the same city. At times during the day, police vehicles were seen speeding through several towns, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

A gun 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, two law enforcement officials said. law enforcement to the Associated Press. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss 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. They did not release any other details, including how the suspect obtained the firearm.

Authorities found a suicide note Thursday at a home associated with Card that was addressed to his son, law enforcement said. They said it did not provide any specific motive for the shooting. Authorities also recovered Card’s cellphone from the home, making the search more complicated because authorities routinely use phones to track suspects, officials said.

Federal agents conducted several searches Thursday at properties associated with Card, collecting a number of items, including electronic devices, officials said. Investigators are also analyzing Card’s financial information and examining his social media posts, writings and mental health history, they said.

The Cards have lived in Bowdoin for generations, neighbors said, and various family members own hundreds of acres in the area. The family owned the local sawmill and donated the land years ago for a local church.

“This is his playground,” Richard Goddard, who lives on the road where a search took place Thursday, said of the suspect. “He knows every ledge to hide behind, every thicket. »

Members of Card’s family told federal investigators that he had recently discussed hearing voices and had focused more on the bowling alley and the bar, according to law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. When he was hospitalized in July in New York, Card told military officials that he heard voices and wanted to harm other soldiers, the officials said.

Police announced Thursday that Card would be charged with 18 counts of murder.

The victims of the shooting included Bob Violette, 76, a retiree who coached a youth bowling league and was described as dedicated, approachable and kind. Auburn City Councilman Leroy Walker told media that his son, Joe, manager of the bar and grill, died chasing the shooter with a butcher knife. Peyton Brewer-Ross was a dedicated pipefitter at Bath Iron Works whose death leaves a gaping hole in the lives of his partner, young daughter and friends, members of his union said.

The director of the youth bowling league vowed the league would survive despite the devastating grief members were feeling.

The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf said the shootings killed at least four members of their community, many of whom were vocal advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The attacks stunned a state of just 1.3 million people that has one of the lowest homicide rates in the country: 29 killings in all of 2022. Gov. Janet Mills said Friday that many Mainers would know someone who died.

“Our state is often said to be ‘big town and small’ because Maine is a close-knit community. As a result, many of us know the victims personally, myself included,” she said in a statement. “Tonight, I ask Maine people to join me in reading their stories, learning about who they were, celebrating them as beloved people, and mourning them as irreplaceable.”

Schools, public buildings and many businesses remained closed Friday. Bates College in Lewiston canceled classes and postponed the inauguration of the school’s first black president.

It is the 36th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.