Maine shooting: New details emerge in Robert Card's death

Police had been searching for suspect Robert Card since Wednesday night.

Last Updated: October 28, 2023, 11:40 AM EDT

The manhunt has ended for suspect Robert Card, who allegedly killed 18 people and injured 13 others in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday evening. Gov. Janet Mills confirmed the suspect was found dead Friday night of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Wednesday's mass shooting unfolded in two locations: a bowling alley where a children's league was taking place and a local bar, officials said.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Oct 27, 2023, 5:28 pm

What we know about the victims

The names of the 18 people killed in Wednesday night's mass shooting in Maine were released by authorities on Friday.

The victims at the bowling alley include youth bowling coach Bob Violette and his wife Lucille Violette, as well as bowling alley manager Tommy Conrad.

Flags fly at half-staff on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Oct 26, 2023 to honor victims of the Oct. 25 mass-shooting in Lewiston Maine.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA via Shutterstock

Aaron Young, 14, and his father William "Bill" Young, 43, were also among the victims at the bowling alley, their family said.

Victims Steven Vozzella and Bill Brackett were among those killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant. They were a part of a gathering of deaf people playing cornhole.

-ABC News' Whitney Lloyd

Oct 26, 2023, 10:53 AM EDT

'One of the safest states in the nation'

"No words can truly or fully measure the grief," Maine Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference Thursday.

"No words can truly or fully measure the grief," Maine Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference Thursday.
1:49

Maine mass shooting ‘strikes at the very heart of who we are,' governor says

"No words can truly or fully measure the grief," Maine Gov. Janet Mills said at a news conference Thursday.
ABCNews.com

"Our small state of just 1.3 million people has long been known as one of the safest states in the nation," she said. "This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear for this precious place we call home. All Maine people are sharing in the sorrow of the families who lost loved ones last night."

An armed police officer guards the ambulance entrance to the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine early on Oct. 26, 2023.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Maine had just 29 homicides all of last year, according to The Associated Press.

Oct 26, 2023, 10:47 AM EDT

Deadliest shooting of the year

There have been at least 565 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Mass shootings are defined as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed, according to the archive.

Wednesday night's mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, which claimed at least 18 lives, is the deadliest shooting of the year and one of the deadliest in recent decades.

Oct 26, 2023, 10:41 AM EDT

WH spokesperson: Biden grieving, says more needs to be done

President Joe Biden in grieving the loss of life in Maine and is praying for the injured, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told MSNBC.

Kirby urged Congress to do more to ban semi-automatic rifles, which he called weapons of war allowed on the streets, and said that Biden's recent legislation, the Safer Communities Act, was a start -- but not enough.

Law enforcement gather outside Schemengee's Bar and Grille, Oct. 26, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP

The Safer Communities Act included incentives for states to pass red flag laws, closed the so-called boyfriend loophole and created an enhanced background check process for people under 21 who are looking to buy firearms from licensed dealers. Biden himself, while signing the bill, said it wasn't everything he wanted but was a start.

Biden has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the Maine victims.

The Bidens say they are grieving for the loss of life and praying for the injured.
2:42

White House response to latest mass shooting in Maine

The Bidens say they are grieving for the loss of life and praying for the injured.
ABCNews.com

Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, "I am heartbroken for those who have lost loved ones, for those who have been injured, and for the entire Lewiston community."

"The FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals are on the ground to provide investigative support and victims assistance services to our law enforcement partners in Maine," he said. "No community should have to endure the horrific mass shootings that have become routine in our country."

Oct 26, 2023, 10:18 AM EDT

Person of interest has been Army reservist for 2 decades

The person of interest in the Maine mass shooting, Robert Card, has been an Army reservist since December 2002, the Army said.

He has no combat deployments, the Army said.

His current rank is sergeant first class. His job is listed as petroleum supply specialist.

Law enforcement is attempting to locate Robert Card as a person of interest regarding the mass shooting at Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston, Maine, Oct. 25, 2023.
Lewiston Maine Police Department

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