Maine shootings: Search ends for man suspected of killing 18 people in Maine

The man suspected of fatally shooting 18 people, and wounding 13 others, in Lewiston, Maine has been found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials announced Friday night.

The search for 40-year-old Robert Card put the southern Maine region on lockdown for much of Thursday and Friday.

Read the blog below for coverage as events unfolded in Maine this week:

Robert Card, the suspected perpetrator of this week's mass shooting in Maine, has been found dead, authorities announced Friday.

The 40-year-old was the sole suspect in the fatal attack at a Lewiston bowling alley and bar on Wednesday that left 18 people dead and 13 others wounded.

The announcement late Friday night capped a two-day manhunt that forced residents to shelter in place and businesses and government offices to temporarily close as state and federal law enforcement agencies scoured several towns for the alleged killer.

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Maine officials lifted a shelter-in-place order on Friday at 5 p.m. as the search for the suspect in the Lewiston mass shooting continues.

State Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck made the announcement at a news conference in which he named all 18 victims of the mass shooting. All of the victims' families have been notified, officials said.

Sauschuck read the names aloud. Photos of those slain were posted on a board behind him. The reading was followed by a moment of silence.

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Maine residents kept to their homes Friday as hundreds of heavily armed police and FBI agents searched for Robert Card, an Army reservist who authorities say fatally shot 18 people at a bowling alley and a bar in the worst mass killing in state history.

At a press conference Friday morning, law enforcement officials appear to be preparing for the search to drag on. Michael Sauschuck, the commissioner for Maine's Department of Public Safety, told members of the media that there would be a daily press conference at 10 a.m. as the situation continues.

Sauschuck said investigators are continuing to look into over 530 tips from the public. He shared a digital tip line set up by FBI Boston for the public to submit tips, images or footage related to the shootings: http://fbi.gov/lewistontips.

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A volunteer youth bowling coach known for encouraging children and a bar manager whose father said tried to confront the shooter and died “a hero” were among the at least 18 people killed and 13 injured in two mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine.

According to Maine State Police, seven people died Wednesday night at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley. Six were male and one was female. Eight more people, all male, died at Schemengees Bar and Grille. Three others died after being taken to hospitals.

Authorities have not released the victims' names, but their family members have been confirming their deaths.

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With a shelter-in-place order still in effect for Androscoggin and parts of Sagadahoc counties in Maine, hundreds of Mainers and people from neighboring states gathered on Zoom Thursday evening for faith-based vigils to mourn those killed in the Lewiston shootings, and take some comfort in virtual togetherness.

More than 250 participants logged on for a Christian prayer session organized by various church leaders from across Maine.

Rev. Jane Field, with the Maine Council of Churches, offered a prayer calling on God to be with those struggling with "the plague of gun violence."

And she called attention to the particular challenges of mourning such a terrible loss while under a shelter in place order.

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Several FBI agents and other heavily armed officers gathered Thursday afternoon off a road where several relatives of shootings suspect Robert Card live near Bowdoin, Maine.

A military-style vehicle and a white van arrived and moments later someone repeatedly yelled, “FBI! Open the door!”

Loud booms could be heard a few seconds apart as helicopters circled overhead. Nearby, several armed police officers stood on alert in the back of a pickup truck.

— The Associated Press

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden reversed his opposition to banning assault rifles at a news conference on Thursday evening.

“The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles,” Golden said. “I ask for forgiveness and support.”

— Esta Pratt-Kielley, Maine Public

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Victims of a mass shooting in Maine that's claimed 18 lives are being treated at hospitals in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey's office said Thursday, and Massachusetts is ready to send law enforcement and human service workers, including grief counselors, to its New England neighbor.

"So many people right now are going to be in need of grief counselors, are going to be in need of mental health services," Healey told reporters at the State House on Thursday morning. "And I know the people of Massachusetts will step forward and support the great people of Maine ... in this time."

— Alison Kuznitz and Michael P. Norton, State House News Service

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Eight people injured in the Maine shootings remained hospitalized at Central Maine Medial Center on Thursday afternoon, officials said.

Hospital officials said five of the patients are in stable condition and three are critical. The hospital has not released the ages of the patients. All of the patients had been identified by late afternoon, said Dr. John Alexander, the chief medical officer.

Alexander said the hospital is not used to dealing with this level of emergency care, but the staff was trained for it.

“It’s unprecedented in terms of the severity of the injuries and the tragedy to the community,” he said.

— The Associated Press

Authorities have been searching both on land and water for the suspect in Wednesday's shootings in Maine that killed 18 people.

The Coast Guard sent out a patrol boat Thursday morning along the Kennebec River. But after hours of searching, authorities found “nothing out of the ordinary,” said Chief Petty Officer Ryan Smith, who is in charge of the Coast Guard’s Boothbay Harbor Station.

The suspect's car had been discovered by a boat launch near the Androscoggin River, which connects to the Kennebec, and his 15-foot boat remains unaccounted for, Smith said.

But he added that officials didn’t have any specific intelligence that the suspect, Robert Card, might have escaped aboard his boat. “We’re just doing our due diligence,” he said.

— The Associated Press

Barely four years before a gunman's deadly rampage in Maine, a state that is staunchly protective of gun rights, the governor signed a law aimed at preventing a mass shooting like the one Wednesday night that claimed at least 18 lives.

It was called a “yellow flag” law, different from the “red flag” laws cropping up in other states to seize weapons from gun owners viewed as a threat.

— Patrick Whittle, Lindsay Whitehurst and Marc Levy, The Associated Press

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Police search teams in Maine are on a manhunt to find 40-year-old Robert Card, who faces multiple arrest warrants for murder in the mass shooting Wednesday night.

Card is considered "armed and dangerous" and should not be approached if spotted, police said.

Here’s what we know so far about Card:

Robert R. Card II was born in Maine, in April of 1983, according to public records. His most recent address is listed in Bowdoin, just east of Lewiston. He graduated from high school in 2001 and attended the University of Maine.

Card owns a 2013 Subaru Outback; a white car matching that description was found near a boat dock in the nearby town of Lisbon.

A search of public records found no criminal records for the suspected killer.

In a Facebook post, the Lewiston Police Department released what appeared to be a driver's license picture of Card. He appears to be the same person shown in surveillance images from the bowling alley, wearing a brown sweatshirt and carrying an AR-style long gun.

Card has extensive military experience, having enlisted in December 2002, the U.S. Army told NPR.

Card “is a petroleum supply specialist in the Army Reserve,” a service spokesperson said. “He has no combat deployments.”

Card has obtained the rank of sergeant first class, which is above a staff sergeant and below a master sergeant.

“His awards include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal x2, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon,” the army representative said.

The Associated Press and other outlets are reporting that Card suffered from mental health issues, citing a law enforcement bulletin. NPR has not been able to independently verify that report.

— Emily Olson, Bill Chappell, NPR

Massachusetts leaders are reacting to the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine on Wednesday night. Gov. Maura Healey as well as the state's congressional delegation are calling on their counterparts to act to limit gun violence.

— Amy Gorel, WBUR

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Maine Gov. Janet Mills said 18 people are dead and 13 are injured from the mass shootings that occurred in Lewiston Wednesday night.

"This is a dark day for Maine," Mills said at a press conference Thursday. "I know it's hard for us to think about healing when our hearts are broken. But I want every person in Maine to know that we will heal together. We are strong, we are resilient, we are a very caring people."

Maine State Police Col. William Ross said seven people were killed at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, and eight people were killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille. Three people died after being transported to local hospitals.

Ross said police first received reports of an active shooter at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley at 6:56 p.m. on Wednesday. Then at 7:08 p.m., police received 911 calls about an active shooter at Schemengees Bar & Grille.

At the press conference, Ross said police have issued an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder. Ten of the deceased have not yet been identified, but once they are, Ross said the counts will likely increase.

The suspect, Robert Card, is still considered armed and dangerous, and should not be approached, Ross said.

Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said Card, who has until now been referred to as a person of interest, is viewed as a suspect now that there are arrest warrants for him on murder charges.

Law enforcement officials said they could not comment on the motive of the shootings.

— Amy Gorel, WBUR

Massachusetts State Police have offered support to their Maine counterparts in the search for the person of interest from Wednesday's mass shootings, according to a statement.

State police Col. John Mawn has been in contact with Maine and other New England police departments to "assess and coordinate capabilities for providing mutual aid," according to the statement.

The announcement said a Massachusetts state trooper assigned to the bomb squad and his K9 partner responded to the Lewiston area, operating as a task force officer from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Boston division of the FBI also released a statement Wednesday evening, saying they were coordinating with local, state and federal law enforcement and "stand ready to assist with any available resources."

Gov. Maura Healey said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Wednesday night that she has been in contact with Maine Gov. Janet Mills to offer Massachusetts' support to the northern neighbor.

— Katie Cole, WBUR

President Biden has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House, all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations and all on U.S. naval vessels — as well as U.S. embassies, consular offices and other facilities abroad — until sunset on Monday.

He said he was doing so "as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated ... in Lewiston, Maine."

The U.S. flies its flags at half-staff when the state or a nation is in mourning.

— Rachel Treisman, NPR

10:30 a.m. Law enforcement officials update the public on the status of the investigation into the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine.

9:51 a.m. Police have issued shelter-in-place advisory for Androscoggin County, in southern Maine, after mass shootings Wednesday night.

A search is underway for Robert Card, 40, a man who is considered a "person of interest" following the shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that left "multiple casualties," officials said.

Schools, universities and daycares around Maine are closed.

The Lewiston Public School system canceled classes, sparking dozens of schools across the state to do the same, according to reporting from local news station WGME.

Police have asked people to stay off the roads to give emergency responders easier access to hospitals.

On NPR's Morning Edition, Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque, from a community adjacent to Lewiston, urged families to follow public safety guidelines and stay home.

Central Maine Healthcare said Thursday it was closing all physician offices in Lewiston and six surrounding communities for the day. All elective surgery was canceled at Central Maine Medical Center.

The University of Maine canceled classes at their Orono and Machias campuses and said only essential employees should report to work. The University of New England also closed their campuses. Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, cancelled classes and instituted a lockout, meaning all buildings will be locked and only those with keycard access are allowed in.

Bates College in Lewiston remains in lockdown. As of 6:30 a.m., campus emergency management acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, "particularly for those students who have not been able to return to their residence halls." For students who were unable to return to dorms overnight, emergency services offered to shuttle students back their residences with permission from city of Lewiston and Lewiston Police Department, according to the alert.

A subsequent 8:40 a.m. alert said campus emergency management was working on ways to provide food to those sheltering on campus, as they are unable to access dining halls.

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8:00 a.m. The Associated Press is reporting that "at least 16" are dead from Wednesday night's shootings. CNN is citing that number on its Chyrons, but was reporting "at least 22" just a few hours ago. The Washington Post, citing the local county sheriff, is reporting "seven victims at the first location."

You've probably noticed that NPR is not reporting a number yet, instead citing Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck, who said only that there were "multiple casualties" during Wednesday's shooting. When pressed, Sauschuck said the numbers were "all over the map."

Sauschuck said the shootings took place at 6:56 p.m. ET, meaning this is still very much a developing story, and some things reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong.

NPR is focusing on reports from law enforcement officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We're committed to bringing you accurate updates as the situation develops in real time.

— Emily Olson, NPR

With reporting by NPR, WBUR's newsroom, and The Associated Press