On Wednesday night the city of Lewiston, Maine, was shaken after a gunman opened fire in a bowling alley and a bar. Police scrambled to find the shooter, urging residents and local businesses to lock down immediately.
Maine law enforcement officials later announced that Robert Card, a 40-year-old Sgt 1st class in the Army Reserve, is wanted as a suspect in the shootings that left 18 dead and 13 others injured.
Here’s what we know so far about the accused gunman:
Who is Robert Card?
After identifying Robert Card as the “person of interest”, the sheriff’s office made photos of him public for identification. He could be seen in the images wearing brown clothes and brandishing a high-powered assault-style rifle.
The law enforcement also unveiled a picture of the vehicle under investigation – a compact white SUV featuring a front bumper painted black. It was a car that the Maine State Police confirmed as belonging to the shooter.
Mr Card, 40, served as a firearms instructor in the US Army Reserve.
As a Sgt 1st class and Petroleum Supply Specialist, he joined in 2002 and has had no combat deployments.
He recently disclosed mental health issues, citing experiences of auditory hallucinations including hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, according to a Maine law enforcement bulletin seen by the Associated Press.
Robert Card— (AP)
He was also committed to a mental health facility for two weeks during the summer of 2023. According to a report by Macra, Mr Card has a history of arrests for domestic violence and other crimes.
Mr Card’s family members have revealed their shock, with the 40-year-old’s sister-in-law telling The Daily Beast that they are “shaken” by the news.
“I have known Rob my whole life,” Card said on Thursday. “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.”
She explained that her brother-in-law had begun wearing hearing aids and was convinced he could hear people talking about him at the two locations of the shooting.
“He truly believed he was hearing people say things,” she said. “This all just happened within the last few months.”
John Miller, chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst for CNN, described the weapon as an AR15-style rifle with a possible telescopic sight. He noted that the gunman was wearing blue tactical pants with “bulging” pockets, suggesting the possibility that he was carrying extra ammunition.
Mr Card should be considered armed and dangerous, police said.
What happened?
Police, fire and rescue personnel first descended on Just-In-Time Recreation on Mollison Way, in Lewiston, about 7pm local time following a report of an active shooter, police said.
Minutes later, 911 calls came in for shootings at a local bar and restaurant – Schemengees Bar and Grille – on nearby Lincoln Street.
In total, 18 people were killed while another 13 were injured in the attacks, Maine Governor Janet Mills confirmed in a press conference on Thursday.
Among the victims, seven people including one female and six males were found dead from gunshot wounds at the bowling alley.
Gunman caught on surveillance footage— (Androscoggin County Sheriff's Of)
Seven males were killed inside the Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant and one male was killed outside.
Three other victims died after they were taken to a local hospital.
The conditions of those injured remains unclear.
A city councillor had previously told CNN that 22 people were thought to have been killed and up to 60 others injured.
Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck refused to give a specific number of fatalities on Wednesday night, saying: “This is a very fluid situation. I don’t have firm numbers and when I do, I will be happy to share with you... I don’t think it’s helpful.”
Initial reports had also suggested that there may have been a shooting in a third location at a Walmart Distribution Centre but this later turned out to be incorrect.
Walmart released a statement late on Wednesday saying: “There was no shooting on Walmart’s property. The distribution center was locked down and police searched the facility. They did not find anything and no one was hurt.”
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s office later released two pictures of the person of interest entering a bowling alley – appearing to confirm reports on the first location.
What do we know about the suspect from social media posts?
The suspect showed an interest in right-wing pundits and politics on X, formerly Twitter, before his account was deleted by the company.
He liked posts from Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jnr, Tucker Carlson and Jordan Peterson. He appeared to focus on content that expressed anti-trans views, as well as on gun rights, the coronavirus and the economy.
Liking a post does not necessarily signify that he agreed with the content, and there is no indication that it was a political attack.
The suspect’s account on X was captured by Heavy.com before it was deleted by the platform, as per its policy. The profile picture on that account appears to match photographs released by law enforcement.
In March, he liked a tweet from Trump Jnr that said:
“Given the incredible rise of trans/non-binary mass shooters in the last few years… by far the largest group committing as a percentage of population… maybe, rather than talking about guns we should be talking about lunatics pushing their gender affirming bulls*** on our kids?”
He also liked a video post in March from by Carlson, the former Fox News commentator, which was accompanied by the text: “The trans movement, it turns out, is the mirror image of Christianity, and therefore its natural enemy. People who believe they’re God can’t stand to be reminded that they’re not.”
Another theme that drew the suspect’s attention was the coronavirus. He liked several posts that expressed scepticism over vaccines and public health lockdowns.
The suspect followed only a few accounts on the platform, among them a pro-Donald Trump ‘MAGA’ page called Proud Patriots, X owner Musk, Mark Cuban, the business network CNBC and Joe Rogan, according to Heavy.com. He also interacted with a number of accounts of Republican politicians, such as former House speaker Kevin McCarthy and Jim Jordan.
The suspect liked at least two posts from President Joe Biden’s account, relating to his administration’s efforts to tackle inflation and taxes. He also liked several by Jim Cramer, the CNBC host.
What happened in the initial aftermath of the shooting?
Video shared online showed multiple police vehicles in the local area.
A message put out online by Maine State Police advised members of the public to “shelter in place”.
“There is an active shooter in Lewiston. We ask people to shelter in place. Please stay inside your home with the doors locked. Law enforcement is currently investigating at multiple locations,” the force said.
“If you see any suspicious activity or individuals please call 911. Updates to follow.”
A text sent out by Lewiston Public Schools urged anyone near or at the school for conferences to get in a safe place.
”We are going into lockdown. I will provide more information as it is available and appropriate,” the alert read.
How is Lewiston dealing with the tragedy?
Local schools have announced they will cancel classes on Thursday.
“There remains a lot of unknowns at this time. Information moves quickly but not always accurately. Please continue to shelter in place or get to safety. We will continue to update you with information and next steps as appropriate,” Lewiston Public Schools said.
“Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them. Our prayers go out to those who lost someone tonight. Our prayers go out to all those working to stop further loss of life.”
Town offices in Lisbon, which neighbours Lewiston, will also be closed on Thursday.
Maine Governor Ms Mill said in Thursday’s press conference that Maine is “one of the safest states in the nation” as she vowed to hold the person responsible accountable.
“I hold these families and this city in my heart,” she said.
“I wish I could take that pain off your hearts, off your shoulders but I promise you this – we will all help you carry that grief.”
With a population of only 1.3 million people, Maine has one of the country's lowest murder rates with just 29 killings in all of 2022.
What has been the wider reaction?
The attacks have been roundly condemned by politicians and gun safety advocacy groups, as well as Maine native and author Stephen King.
President Joe Biden ordered all US flags to be flown at half-mast, writing online: “Once again, our nation mourns after another senseless and tragic mass shooting. Today, Jill and I pray for the Americans in Maine who’ve lost their lives, those in critical care, and the families, survivors, and community members enduring shock and grief.”
In her own statement vice president Kamala Harris called for tighter gun safety laws, telling reporters: “President Biden and I are not waiting around. Through the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, we will continue to work to save lives.
“We do not have a moment to spare, nor a life to spare.”
The White House also asked newly-elected House speaker Mike Johnson to “work together” on gun legislation in the wake of the incident. “The House has a new speaker, who has said he is ready to get to work and find common ground,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in her afternoon briefing.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the shooting on Thursday— (Reuters)
“Now is the time to find common ground. Let us work together to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”
Earlier, Mr Johnson – who was elected on Wednesday – faced criticism after simply offering “prayers” following the mass shooting, which he described as a “horrific tragedy”.
“This is a dark time in America, we have a lot of problems and we’re really, really hopeful and prayerful. Prayer is appropriate in a time like this, that the evil can end and this senseless violence can stop,” he said.
“And so that’s that’s the statement this morning on behalf of the entire House of Representatives. Everyone wants this to end and I’ll leave it there.”
