Authorities say a man suspected of fatally shooting 18 people and wounding 13 in Maine has been found dead.
Robert Card, who was wanted in connection with the shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grille and Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press ahead of a news conference.
Card, 40, a US Army reservist of Bowdoin, Maine, had been sought since the Wednesday night shootings and murder warrants were issued against him.
A bulletin sent to police across the country shortly after the attack said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks during the summer after “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.
A US official said Card was training with the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in West Point, New York, when commanders became concerned about him.
Police scoured the woods and hundreds of acres of family-owned property, sent dive teams with sonar to the bottom of a river and scrutinised a possible suicide note on Friday in the second day of their intensive search for Card.
Authorities lifted their shelter in place order for people living in the area on Friday evening, nearly 48 hours after the shootings.
The names and pictures of the 16 men and two women who died were released as state public safety commissioner Mike Sauschuck asked for a moment of silence at a news conference. Their ages ranged from 14 to 76.
Law enforcement officials had said they had not seen Card since his vehicle was left at a boat ramp on Wednesday, shortly after the shootings.
Authorities say Card, who had firearms training, opened fire at the bar and a bowling alley on Wednesday in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city.
The city held an online vigil on Friday night with local clergy members, prayer and music.
Residents expressed their shock and pain in chat postings, describing themselves as angry, grieving, tired and heartbroken. Those watching at home were urged to light candles.
One poster, Victoria, wrote: “I lost 2 people that I cared truly about and a close family friend that is currently fighting for his life in ICU. My heart’s shattered.”
Police and other law enforcement officers were spotted in several areas around the region on Friday.
Divers searched the water near a boat launch in Lisbon, and a farming business in the same town. Police vehicles were seen speeding through several towns with sirens blaring throughout the day.
