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2023 Lewiston shootings

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2023 Lewiston shootings
Part of mass shootings in the United States
LocationLewiston, Maine, U.S.
DateOctober 25, 2023; 13 months ago (2023-10-25)
6:56 – 8:15 (EDT)
Attack type
Mass murder, mass shooting, murder–suicide, spree shooting
WeaponsRuger SFAR .308 AR-10 semi-automatic rifle
Deaths19 (including the perpetrator)
Injured
13
PerpetratorRobert Card II

A spree shooting took place in Lewiston, Maine, United States on October 25, 2023.[1] Nineteen people were killed and 13 others were injured in the double mass shooting. The first mass shooting happened at a bowling alley during a youth league event, and the second one happened just minutes later at a restaurant.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office shared a picture of the suspect, Robert Card. A few days later, his body was found in a forest, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from where the shooting happened. Card had killed himself.[2][3]

Events

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Shootings

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Around 7:15 p.m. EDT, there was a report of an active shooter at Sparetime Recreation, a family restaurant and bowling alley.[4] Shortly after, there was another shooting at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, located about four miles away.[5] There were reports of gunshots at a Walmart distribution center, but it turned out there was no shooting there.[6]

At about 8:00 p.m., the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office and Maine State Police warned residents about an active shooter.[7] The sheriff's office shared pictures of the shooter, who was carrying a powerful assault-style rifle.[8]

Manhunt

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On October 26, police in Lisbon found Card's abandoned vehicle near the Androscoggin River.[9] They also issued an arrest warrant for Card, charging him with eight counts of murder.[10]

On October 27, authorities used dive teams and Sonar ROVs to search for underwater evidence near the vehicle. They were unsure how Card had escaped.[9] The shelter-in-place order in Lewiston was lifted, but hunting restrictions were imposed in several areas.

Later that evening, Card was discovered dead near his former workplace, a recycling center by the Androscoggin River in Lisbon, where he had been fired.[11] His cause of death appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The hunting restrictions were then lifted.

Perpetrator

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Robert Russell Card II
Born(1983-04-04)April 4, 1983
Diedc. October 27, 2023(2023-10-27) (aged 40)
Lisbon, Maine
Cause of deathSuicide by gunshot
Body discoveredOctober 27, 2023
NationalityAmerican

The perpetrator was 40-year-old Robert Russell Card II (4 April 1983 – c. 27 October 2023), a resident of Bowdoin, Maine.[12][13] He was identified by the police as the person they are looking for. The next day, they identified as the suspect.[14] He was a sergeant first class in the United States Army Reserve and enlisted in December 2002.[15][16] An Army spokesperson confirmed that Card was a reserve member without any active deployments.[17]

Card was formerly a student of Bowdoin Central School and later Mount Ararat High School in nearby Topsham.[18][19] After graduating in 2001, he studied at the University of Maine from 2001 to 2004, but he did not complete his education. Before 2023, he had just one run-in with the law, a DUI arrest in 2007, to which he pleaded guilty, and two speeding tickets in 2001 and 2002.

In July 2023, while training at West Point, service members alongside Card noticed his strange behavior and asked for law enforcement assistance. Card had mentioned hearing voices and making threats to "shoot up" a military base in Saco. The New York State Police responded, and he was taken to Keller Army Community Hospital at the academy, where he was committed for two weeks for a medical evaluation.[20] Card's sister-in-law told NBC News that he began hearing voices around the time he got hearing aids. She explained that he was hearing unfamiliar voices and his thoughts were getting mixed up, which was very distressing for him.[17]

References

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  1. ↑ "At least 22 people dead and suspect at large after shootings in Lewiston, Maine, officials say". CNN. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ Curran, Kathy; Pescaro, Mike (October 28, 2023). "Maine mass shooting suspect found dead, sources say". NBC Boston. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Maine Shootings: Update from The New York Times". The New York Times. October 28, 2023. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  4. ↑ Smart, Sara; Miller, John (26 October 2023). "16 people dead and suspect at large after shootings in area of Lewiston, Maine, authorities say". CNN. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "Shooting at Bowling Alley in Maine: Latest Updates". TIME. 26 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "No shooting at Walmart distribution center despite early reports of gunfire there". NBC News. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Helsel, Phil (25 October 2023). "Law enforcement in Maine warns of active shooter, tells people to shelter". NBC News. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Prasad, Ritu (26 October 2023). "22 people dead and suspect at large after shootings in area of Lewiston, Maine, authorities say". CNN. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Rose, Andy (27 October 2023). "Official: Divers to search waters near dock where suspect's car was found". CNN. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Maine shooting suspect faces multiple counts of murder, police say". CNN. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Sharp, David; Whittle, Patrick; Ramer, Holly; Smith, Michelle R. (27 October 2023). "Maine mass killing suspect has been found dead, ending search that put entire state on edge". AP News. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Maine shooting suspect Robert Card found dead, officials say – CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  13. ↑ "What We Know About Robert Card, A Longtime Resident Of Bowdoin". New York Times. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  14. ↑ "Police are said to believe they know identity of shooting suspect". NBC News. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  15. ↑ Ismay, John; Bogel-Borroughs, Nicholas; Thrush, Glenn; Mazzei, Patricia (26 October 2023). "What We Know About the Maine Shooting Suspect". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  16. ↑ Barrett, Devlin; Stein, Perry; Berman, Mark; Horton, Alex (26 October 2023). "What we know about Robert Card, suspect sought in the Maine mass killings". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Arkin, Daniel; Chan, Melissa (26 October 2023). "Lewiston police identify Robert Card as a suspect in fatal shootings". NBC News. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Lewiston shooting suspect's life, who a skilled marksman later struggled with mental health". centralmaine.com. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "Lewiston shooting suspect's background". centralmaine.com. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  20. ↑ Sharp, David (26 October 2023). "At least 22 dead, 50 wounded in mass shootings in Maine, US". The Sydney Morning Herald.
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