{"id":12542,"date":"2023-10-28T16:53:39","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T16:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/?p=12542"},"modified":"2023-10-28T16:53:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T16:53:41","slug":"american-failure-anxious-maine-communities-feel-relief-after-man-accused-of-killing-18-people-is-found-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/2023\/10\/28\/american-failure-anxious-maine-communities-feel-relief-after-man-accused-of-killing-18-people-is-found-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"American Failure: Anxious Maine communities feel relief after man accused of killing 18 people is found dead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A sense of relief <\/strong>washed over <\/strong>a grieving Maine community that endured two days of fear after authorities announced the man accused of killing 18 people at a bowling alley and a restaurant <\/strong>earlier this week was found dead on Friday<\/a> evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The body of Robert Card, 40, was discovered near a river some 10 miles from the shattered community of Lewiston with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Card\u2019s body was found inside a box trailer sitting in an overflow parking lot of Maine Recycling Corporation in Lisbon, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said at a news conference Saturday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Card had recently been fired from the recycling center, a law enforcement source told FunmiNews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of those trailers are locked. Some of those trailers aren\u2019t,\u201d Sauschuck said. \u201cHe was found inside one of those boxes that was unlocked from the outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two firearms were found alongside Card\u2019s body, Sauschuck said, and he was wearing the same sweatshirt seen in surveillance video of the Wednesday night shooting, suggesting he never changed his clothes. It is unclear when he took his own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sauschuck said the facility was initially searched and considered clear, but the owner of Maine Recycling directed law enforcement to additional trailers that investigators did not initially realize were part of the same recycling center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discovery ended a roughly two-day manhunt that left many residents in the serene, picturesque area living on edge and fearful to leave their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maine Gov. Janet Mills said she, like others, was relieved that the manhunt and the fear that came attached to it was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike many people, I\u2019m breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone,\u201d Mills said at a news conference Friday evening. \u201cI know there are some people \u2013 many people \u2013 who share that sentiment, but I also know that his death might not bring solace to many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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She said the discovery would allow the community to move on and begin \u201ca long and difficult road to healing \u2013 but we will heal together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extensive manhunt started Wednesday night after gunshots rang out at Just-in-Time Recreation and later at Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston, according to officials. The 18 people killed<\/a>, whom officials identified Friday, ranged in age from 14 to 76. They included a boy who was bowling with his father, contestants in a cornhole tournament for the deaf, and several fathers who leave behind young children. The shooting rampage left 13 others injured, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A survivor of the massacre, whose cousin Tricia Asselin<\/a> was killed in the shooting, was relieved to hear the suspect was found dead so the \u201ccommunity itself can definitely move on without the fear of him out there,\u201d she told FunmiNews\u2019 Kaitlan Collins on Friday night, adding she was \u201csad because we have so many questions left unanswered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tammy Asselin, who was separated from her 10-year-old daughter as the shooting began at the bowling alley at Just-in-Time Recreation, continued: \u201cI know it does give my daughter some peace to know that he has been caught, because that was a fear of hers \u2013 that he\u2019s still out there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law enforcement officials say Card, a US Army reservist and certified firearms instructor, had extensive training that included land navigation and firearms.<\/a> He was described as a skilled marksman and one of the best shooters in his unit by someone who served with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tammy Asselin told FunmiNews Friday she wants to know why the gunman targeted the locations, and why he fired when children were there, among other questions she said might never be answered now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know, it is just those \u2018why\u2019 questions that unfortunately are left unanswered and we will probably never have those answers to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People across the community, state and country have echoed a sense of relief for those in area after days of uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Joe Biden said he is grateful Maine residents are safe \u201cafter spending excruciating days hiding in their homes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden, in a statement Friday night after the suspect was found dead, said his administration will continue \u201cto provide everything that is needed to support the people of Maine.\u201d He also reiterated his call to Congress to address gun violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmericans should not have to live like this,\u201d Biden said. \u201cI once again call on Republicans in Congress to fulfill their obligation to keep the American people safe. Until that day comes, I will continue to do everything in my power to end this gun violence epidemic. The Lewiston community \u2013 and all Americans \u2013 deserve nothing less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even before the discovery of Card\u2019s body, the Lewiston community showcased its strength Friday. People trickled onto the streets of downtown Lewiston, covered in fall leaves, amid the lingering sense of uncertainty over Card\u2019s whereabouts and alarming messages from authorities to be vigilant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A steady stream of people walked the sidewalks, and entered and exited buildings. Several drivers traveled through the area even before the shelter-in-place order, which authorities enacted early in the manhunt, was lifted early Friday evening, just hours before authorities said Card\u2019s body had been found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone decorated trees with supportive paper-hearted messages like \u201cto my community\u201d and \u201cto my neighbors\u201d on trees in downtown Lewiston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several businesses remained closed throughout the afternoon, but some owners, like the Halal markets serving the area\u2019s immigrant community, said they opened their doors for a shortened period Friday due to safety concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An emotional Deborah Roy, still grieving from the loss of her 92-year-old mother a few weeks ago, tried to hold back tears as she told FunmiNews she\u2019d been at home for three days before visiting a grocery store earlier Friday in Lisbon, a town 15 minutes away from Lewiston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just wanted to go for a ride to get away,\u201d Roy said. A line of customers stretched to the back of the store that afternoon as several other businesses remained closed during the shelter-in-place order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roy said she saw \u201cpeople, cars everywhere, (and) cameras\u201d while en route to the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I came down over that bridge and I saw all the officers, it hit home,\u201d Roy said tearfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ufeff<\/strong>\u201cI\u2019m just blown away to see this happening in our own little town,\u201d she said. \u201cHow one person can tip the world upside down, it\u2019s devastating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just over 48 hours after the manhunt began, authorities found Card\u2019s body at 7:45 p.m. Friday near the Androscoggin River in the Lisbon Falls area, some 10 miles from Lewiston, said Sauschuck, the state public safety commissioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this week, authorities had found Card\u2019s vehicle abandoned after the shooting near a boat launch in the Lisbon area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Details about when Card died \u201cremains to be seen,\u201d Sauschuck said Friday, and authorities haven\u2019t announced a motive in the shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While no motive has been announced, a key theory about why the bowling alley and the restaurant were targeted emerged during the investigation, law enforcement sources told FunmiNews Thursday. Card recently broke up with a longtime girlfriend, and investigators are pursuing the theory Card went to the bowling alley and the bar because they were places the couple used to frequent, law enforcement sources told CNN\u2019s John Miller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Card also left behind a note to his family, according to Sauschuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a note to a loved one, and it is saying that this is the passcode for my phone, this is the bank account numbers,\u201d Sauschuck said in the Saturday press conference. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t describe it as an explicit suicide note, but the tone and tenor was that the individual was not going to be around and wanted to make sure that this loved one had access to this phone and whatever was in his phone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Card\u2019s death was announced, authorities had said they found a note from Card that prompted the manhunt\u2019s shift to include a water search in the Androscoggin River. But after an extensive search that included divers, underwater vessels and aircraft \u2013 Card was still not found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over two days, law enforcement officers with long guns surrounded and searched various areas across the typically quiet area, from a greenhouse at Springworks Farm in Lisbon to homes and places connected to the suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law enforcement officers twice visited Card\u2019s home on Thursday,<\/a> surrounding the home that night ordering any occupants to come out, though it was unclear whether anyone was inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigators had earlier executed a search warrant Thursday at the home, looking for computers, notes, weapons and any evidence that might indicate a plan for the shootings, law enforcement sources told FunmiNews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A law enforcement official said Friday that investigators have also recovered a cell phone that belonged to the suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In pictures: The aftermath of the Maine shooting rampage<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

1 of 29<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigators said they believe the gun Card used in the massacre was legally bought just days before he was hospitalized and ordered into undergoing a psychiatric evaluation in mid-July, according to multiple law enforcement sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Card, who first enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2002, was reported by Army Reserve officials for \u201cbehaving erratically,\u201d prompting New York State Police to respond to the Camp Smith military base where Card served in Cortlandt, New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Card was reportedly acting \u201cbelligerently and possibly intoxicated,\u201d according to a source briefed on the matter, and state police transported him to a nearby hospital for suspected intoxication. He was released the next day, authorities said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked for information about the encounter, a New York State Police spokesperson told FunmiNews: \u201cThis is an active investigation, and the New York State Police does not comment on active investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army gave Card a \u201cCommand Referral\u201d to seek treatment after a federal law enforcement source told Army personnel that Card had been \u201chearing voices\u201d and had thoughts about \u201churting other soldiers,\u201d the source told FunmiNews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The encounters happened 10 days after Card purchased the high-powered rifle at a Maine gun store, law enforcement sources said. The powerful rifle was a Ruger SFAR chambered for high-powered 308 ammunition, according to the sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A \u201clong gun\u201d was found inside the white Subaru owned by Card, Sauschuck said. Investigators are working to confirm that the gun was connected to the mass shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources say the weapon found inside the car appears to be the same fired by the gunman, though a ballistics match has not been confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weapon will be processed by the FBI and ATF for fingerprints and DNA and then run through laboratory testing to determine if the bullets and shell casings found at the scene match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with the rifle, sources say Card also bought a Beretta 92-F 9mm semi-automatic pistol in July. It is the standard pistol of the US military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Card began shooting at a Lewiston bowling alley, and later at a bar in the largely working-class community, authorities say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officers responded to the shooting locations in Lewiston within minutes of 911 calls, police said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initial 911 call from Just-In-Time Recreation came in at 6:56 p.m., and the first Lewiston police officer arrived at 7 p.m., Sauschuck said Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People ran from the bowling alley as police cruisers responded to the scene, video obtained by FunmiNews showed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 12 minutes after the first calls, authorities received multiple 911 calls about a shooter at Schemengees Bar and Grille Restaurant, roughly 4 miles from the bowling alley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shooting and subsequent manhunt for Cardprompted shelter-in-place orders for Androscoggin and northern Sagadahoc counties, where Lewiston, Auburn and Lisbon are located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigators executed a search warrant on Thursday at Card\u2019s home, looking for computers, notes, weapons and any evidence that might indicate a plan for the shootings, law enforcement sources told FunmiNews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities say they found the suspect\u2019s car abandoned about 8 miles from Lewiston in Lisbon, with a trail connecting the place he abandoned his vehicle and the location where his body ultimately was found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 18 victims from the shooting rampage were identified Friday \u2013 with victims ranging in age from 14 to 76.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Father and son Bill and Aaron Young were enjoying a night of bowling<\/a> when the shooting occurred. They were both killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aaron, 14, was an honor student who took pride in his grades, Aaron\u2019s sister and Bill\u2019s stepdaughter, Kayla Putnam, told FunmiNews affiliate WCVB<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill was an auto mechanic, Putnam said, and the rock of the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very hard for the family right now to deal without him because he was kind of the center of the family and everything,\u201d  Putnam told WCVB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Violette, 76, was days away from turning 77 when he was shot and killed at the bowling alley, according to FunmiNews affiliate WBZ<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violette\u2019s relatives say he was teaching a youth bowling league when gunfire erupted, and they believe he died protecting his students, WBZ reported. His wife, Lucille, also died in the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBob\u2019s helped with the youth league for as long as I can remember,\u201d Violette\u2019s friend Brandon Dubuc told WBZ. \u201cIf he was there with those kids, he was protecting those kids. I have no doubt about that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A sense of relief washed over a grieving Maine community that endured two days of fear after authorities announced the man accused of killing 18 people at a bowling alley and a restaurant earlier this week was found dead on Friday evening. The body of Robert Card, 40, was discovered near a river some 10 miles from the shattered community […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-29.png?fit=866%2C620&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12545,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12542\/revisions\/12545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}