US mass shooting suspect, who killed 18, found dead: Police
United States (US) authorities confirmed on Friday that the man suspected of killing 18 people in a mass shooting incident in Maine's Lewiston on Wednesday night was found dead. Identified as Robert Card, the 40-year-old died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. "Like many people, I'm breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone," Maine Governor Janet Mills said at a press conference.
Check out Mills's press address here
Card was a reservist in the US Army
Card, a reservist in the US Army who spent two weeks in a mental health facility during the summer of 2023, opened fire inside a bowling alley on Wednesday and then went to a nearby bar to fatally shoot 18 people. Authorities launched a massive search operation to catch the suspect, and a lockdown was also imposed in the city as a precautionary measure.
Suspect notified military officials of his mental health before attack
A law enforcement bulletin said the suspect had recently reported hearing voices and threatened to shoot up a military base in Saco. In July, he started "behaving erratically," a New York Army National Guard spokesperson told CBS News, following which he was committed to the mental health facility. His sister-in-law also disclosed to the network that Card had notified police and military officials that he was experiencing an "acute" mental health episode before the attack on Wednesday.
Suspect's body found at recycling center
Maine Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Sauschuck said Card was found at 7:45pm (local time) near the Androscoggin River, approximately 13 kilometers southeast of Wednesday evening's second shooting spot. While Sauschuck did not reveal the location, sources told the news agency Associated Press (AP) that the suspect's body was found at a recycling center from which he got fired recently.
Maine senator reacts to mass shooting suspect's death
Reacting to Card's death, Senator Susan Collins took to X (formerly Twitter) and said, "Mainers can breathe a collective sigh of relief thanks to the brave first responders who worked night and day to find this killer." The senator also stated that US President Joe Biden had called her earlier on Friday to inform her that the suspect had been found. "We both expressed our profound appreciation for the courage and determination of these brave men and women," Collins added.
US reported nearly 560 shooting incidents in 2023: Report
Wednesday's mass shooting event marked one of the deadliest massacres in the US since August 2019, when a gunman opened fire on shoppers at an El Paso Walmart in Texas, killing 23 individuals. Gun violence reportedly spiked by more than 30% in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. As per a BBC report, data from the Gun Violence Archive showed there have been over 560 mass shootings across America this year alone.
