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, 3:21 PM EDT

Suspect's sister says he may have been looking for his ex: Law enforcement officials

The family of mass shooting suspect Robert Card is cooperating with authorities, law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation told ABC News.

The family is laying out an account of a deeply troubled person, the sources said, bolstering earlier accounts of mental health treatment, voices in his head and alleged threats to shoot up a National Guard facility.

Card's sister told investigators she thought Card might have been looking for an ex-girlfriend at the shooting locations: a bowling alley and a bar, the sources said.

Robert Card, a person of interest in the Maine mass shooting, in an undated photo from Facebook.
Facebook

Oct 26, 2023, 3:09 PM EDT

Coast Guard searching Kennebec River

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching the Kennebec River in Maine for any sign of the mass shooting suspect, Robert Card.

Card owns a boat and property in the Lewiston area, according to a source briefed on the situation.

"Currently, one response boat crew from Station Boothbay Harbor, and an Air Station Cape Cod HC-144 fixed wing aircraft are assisting with patrols," Coast Guard spokesperson Rob Simpson said in a statement.

Oct 26, 2023, 2:55 PM EDT

Suspect was behaving erratically this summer during Army service

Maine mass shooting suspect Robert Card allegedly behaved erratically this summer while serving as an Army reservist, according to a defense official.

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

Card was deployed to Camp Smith Training Center in upstate New York to help support summer training for West Point cadets.

Card allegedly threatened other soldiers with violence, according to a source briefed on the situation.

"Out of concern for his safety, the unit requested that law enforcement be contacted," the defense official said. Police took Card to Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy for a medical evaluation, the official said.

Robert Card, a person of interest in the Maine mass shooting, in an undated photo from Facebook.
Facebook

Sometimes this spring or summer, Card bought an accessory to a firearm, according to the source briefed on the situation.

With the manhunt for Card ongoing, the source noted that Card owns a boat and property in the Lewiston area.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Pierre Thomas

Oct 26, 2023, 2:40 PM EDT

Exhaustive search underway for suspected gunman

A sweeping dragnet effort is underway on the ground and in the air as law enforcement partners fan out in full force in their search for the suspected Lewiston gunman, Robert Card.

More than 350 law enforcement personnel are involved in the search.

Law enforcement members patrol, following a deadly mass shooting in Lewiston, in Lisbon Falls, Maine, Oct. 26, 2023.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Evidence response teams are already on the ground, processing the "very extensive scenes" where the shootings took place, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen said.

In these early stages, investigators are probing potential mental health issues Card may have had, and how he was in possession of a weapon.

ABC News contributor Brad Garrett discusses what federal and local law enforcement is doing to capture the suspect in the fatal Lewiston mass shooting.
5:07

Multi-agency manhunt continues for Maine shooting suspect

ABC News contributor Brad Garrett discusses what federal and local law enforcement is doing to capture the suspect in the fatal Lewiston mass shooting.
ABCNews.com

A motive has also not been determined.

"I think those are all valid questions and certainly questions that we are looking into now, but not questions that we can answer today," Commissioner of Maine's Department of Public Safety Mike Sauschuck said.

Robert Card, a person of interest in the Maine mass shooting, in an undated photo from Facebook.
Facebook

-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik

Related Topics