AceBreakingNews – UPDATE – US authorities say a man suspected of fatally shooting 18 people and wounding 13 in the north-east state of Maine has been found dead following a 48-hour manhunt.

Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Oct.28: 2023: AP News Agency: TELEGRAM Ace Daily News Link https://t.me/+PuI36tlDsM7GpOJe

Robert Card, who was wanted in connection with the Wednesday night shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The official was not authorised to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

Maine Governor Janet Mills told a news conference that Card’s body had been located in Lewiston and that she had called US President Joe Biden to inform him. 

“Like many people, I am breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” Governor Mills said, thanking police and law enforcement who had been involved in the search.  

“I know there are some people, many people who share that sentiment but I also know that his death may not bring solace to many. But now is the time to heal.

“And with this search concluded, I know that law enforcement continues to fully investigate all the facts so we can bring what closure we can to the victims and their families.”Loading…

Card had been sought since the shootings, and murder warrants had been issued against him.

Authorities had scoured the woods and hundreds of acres of family-owned property, sent dive teams with sonar to the bottom of a river and scrutinised a possible suicide note on Friday in the second day of their intensive search for Card.

Authorities lifted a shelter-in-place order on Friday evening, nearly 48 hours after the shootings.

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

A US official said Card was training with the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in West Point, New York, when commanders became concerned about him.

State police took Card to the Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point for evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorised to publicly discuss the information and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity

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

Victims aged from 14 to 76 years of age

Sixteen males and two females were killed in the shootings, according to Maine’s State Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck, with their ages ranges from 14 to 76.

The attacks stunned a state of only 1.3 million people that has one of the country’s lowest homicide rates: 29 killings in all of 2022.

The victims of the shootings include Bob Violette, 76, a retiree who was coaching a youth bowling league and was described as devoted, approachable and kind.

Auburn City councillor Leroy Walker told news outlets that his son, Joe, a manager at the bar and grill, died going after the shooter with a butcher knife.

Peyton Brewer-Ross was a dedicated pipe fitter at Bath Iron Works whose death leaves a gaping void in the lives of his partner, young daughter and friends, members of his union said.

The manager 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 ardent advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The city held an online vigil on Friday night with local clergy members, prayer and music.

Residents expressed their shock and pain in chat postings, describing themselves as angry, grieving, tired and heartbroken.

Those watching at home were urged to light candles.

One poster, Victoria, wrote: “I lost two people that I cared truly about and a close family friend that is currently fighting for his life in ICU. My heart’s shattered.”

Governor Mills said on Friday that many Maine residents will know someone who died.

“It is often said that our state is ‘one big, small town’ because Maine is such a close-knit community. As a result, many of us know the victims personally, including me,” she said in a statement.

“Tonight, I ask Maine people to join me in reading their stories, learning who they were, celebrating them as beloved people, and mourning them as irreplaceable.”

The shootings mark 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.

Divers deployed in search for suspect

Police and other law enforcement officers were spotted in several areas around the region on Friday.

Divers searched the water near a boat launch in Lisbon, and a farming business in the same town.

At points throughout 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 told The Associated Press.

The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

The Cards have lived in Bowdoin for generations, neighbours said, and various members of the family own hundreds of acres in the area.

The family owned the local sawmill and years ago donated the land for a local church.

“This is his stomping ground,” Richard Goddard, who lives on the road where a search took place on Thursday, said of the suspect.

“He knows every ledge to hide behind, every thicket.”

Note did not provide motive

Authorities have said publicly that the shooter used at least one rifle.

They have not released any other details, including how the suspect obtained the firearm.

Authorities found a suicide note at a home associated with Card on Thursday that was addressed to his son, the law enforcement officials said.

They said it didn’t provide any specific motive for the shooting.

Authorities also recovered Card’s mobile phone in the home, making a search more complicated because authorities routinely use phones to track suspects, the officials said.

Mental health history and social media posts analysed

Federal agents conducted several searches of properties associated with Card on Thursday, collecting a number of items, including electronics, the officials said.

Investigators are also analysing Card’s financial information and reviewing his social media posts, writings and his mental health history, they said.

Family members of Card told federal investigators that he had recently discussed hearing voices and became more focused on the bowling alley and bar, according to the law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

When he was hospitalised in July in New York, Card had told military officials he had been hearing voices and said he wanted to harm other soldiers, the officials said.

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