THE suspected gunman behind Wednesday’s mass shooting may have been looking for his ex before he allegedly killed 18 people and injured 13 others, his sister has said.
The manhunt continues for Robert Card, 40, who state police believe carried out the deadly shooting in Lewiston, the state’s second-largest city.
APMaine State Police have asked residents to remain vigilant for suspect Robert Card, 40, who is considered armed and dangerous[/caption]
A timeline of Robert Card’s reign of terror across Lewiston
EPATactical team members searching for suspect Robert Card[/caption]
EPACard is seen on surveillance entering the Just In Time Recreation bowling alley armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle[/caption]
Card is considered armed and dangerous, and police have urged locals to be vigilant and not to approach him.
His sister has been cooperating with officials and revealed that the suspect stayed at a mental health facility this summer after hearing voices in his head.
She believes that he could have been looking for his ex when he allegedly went on the shooting rampage, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Maine State Police have issued an arrest warrant for Card for eight counts of murder. The counts are expected to rise as more victims are identified.
Multiple law enforcement officials said a note had been found in Card’s Bowdoin home and they are analyzing it to see if it could help investigators find him, WNBC reported.
Card’s reign of terror began at around 6:56 pm on Wednesday when police received calls about an active shooter in progress at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, previously known as Sparetime.
About 10 minutes later, Maine State Police Colonel William G. Ross said 911 received multiple calls at 7:08 pm about a shooting at Schemengees Bar and Grille, about four miles from the bowling alley.
“A large law enforcement response from multiple surrounding agencies assisted the Lewiston police department in trying to identify who this individual was, what was happening,” Ross said.
“As you can imagine, this was a very fast-paced, fast-moving, very fluid scene, very dangerous scene that these guys and girls were into.”
Police said eight of the 18 victims have been identified – 10 are still pending identification, Ross said on Thursday.
Seven victims – one female and six males – were found at the bowling alley.
Another eight victims were found dead at Schemengees Bar and Grille – seven male victims inside the building and one male outside.
Three more people died at local hospitals, Ross said.
“This is a dark day for Maine,” Governor Janet Mills said, adding that she’s spoken to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris twice since the events of the shooting.
“This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security.
“No city does – no state, no people.”
Central Maine Medical Center Dr. John Alexander said they received 13 injured victims within a 45-minute span.
Eight are still being treated at the hospital – five are in stable condition and three are listed as critical, Dr. Alexander said.
More than 16 hours after the massacre, Maine State Police are still searching for Card, who is considered armed and dangerous.
A car found at a boating land in Lisbon, Maine, about eight miles from Lewiston, has been found and is connected to Card, Ross said.
The US Army‘s public affairs office at the Pentagon confirmed that Card was a sergeant first class in the Army Reserve and trained as a petroleum supply specialist, which involves shipping and storing fuel for military vehicles and aircraft.
He enlisted in December 2002 and has no combat deployments.
CARD’S FAMILY SPEAKS OUT
The family of Card revealed to The Daily Beast that the Army reservist had allegedly been suffering with his mental health in the months leading up to the shooting.
Katie Card, who is married to Card’s brother, told the outlet that the family has been messaging the accused mass murderer, urging him to turn himself in.
“I have known Rob my whole life,” the stunned sister-in-law said.
“He is quiet but the most loving, hardworking, and kind person that I know. But in the past year, he had an acute episode of mental health, and it’s been a struggle.
“He truly believed he was hearing people say things. This all just happened within the last few months.”
Katie claims Card had been insisting to his family that he could hear people bashing him, including at Just In Time Recreation bowling Alley and Scgemengees Bar and Grille, where he’s accused of committing the mass shootings.
SURVIVOR RECALLS TERROR
A witness who was inside the bowling alley recalled the harrowing event when the suspect entered the business and began shooting.
“Out of nowhere, he just came in, and there was a loud pop,” Brandon told ABC News.
“I thought it was a balloon. I had my back turned to the door.
“As soon as I turned, I saw that it was not a balloon and he was holding a weapon.
“I just booked it down the lane and slid basically into where the pins are.”
Just-In-Time-Recreation released a statement on the shooting as they mourned those killed in Wednesday’s tragedy.
“None of this seems real, but unfortunately, it is,” the bowling alley wrote in a Facebook post.
“We are devastated for our community and our staff. We lost some amazing and wholehearted people from our bowling family and community last night.
“There are no words to fix this or make it better. We pray for everyone who has been affected by this horrific tragedy. We love you all and hold you close in our hearts.”
President Biden issued a statement saying he and First Lady Jill Biden are praying for the victims.
“As I told Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators [Susan] Collins and [Angus] King, and Congressman [Jared] Golden last night, I have directed my administration to provide everything that is needed to support the people of Maine.
“We will continue to be there every step of the way.”
Biden called on Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons: “Today, in the wake of yet another tragedy, I urge Republican lawmakers in Congress to fulfill their duty to protect the American people.
“Work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers.
“This is the very least we owe every American who will now bear the scars – physical and mental – of this latest attack.”
Maine does not have concealed carry laws, background check laws, or high-capacity magazine laws and does not allow law enforcement to temporarily bar people from owning firearms.
A map of the shooting incidents
EPAA body is removed from inside Schemengees Bar and Grille[/caption]
EPALaw enforcement cars patrol the area in search of Robert Card[/caption]
AFPCentral Maine Medical Center Dr. John Alexander said they received 13 victims on Wednesday[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
