The chase came to an end in Maine after 48 anxious hours. The nightmare is over, the pain remains when you wake up. Robert Card, 40, was found dead in the woods near Lisbon, the city where his car was found on Wednesday, after killing 18 people and injuring 13 at a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston. just twelve kilometers away. The fugitive, a soldier in the reserves, committed suicide with a shot to the head, according to the police.
After ten at night, Governor Janet Mills appeared, smiling, leading the group of authorities who appeared at a press conference to give the most anticipated news throughout these two long days, with the residents of the area sheltered in their homes. , with schools and businesses closed, without a soul on the street. “Like many, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” she said.
He thanked all the state agents, and others who have gone to collaborate, for having devoted themselves to the effort without rest. He noted that now comes the time of healing for the victims and for everyone. Mills concluded by underlining his last sentence, as if pinching himself to certify that it was true: “Robert Card is dead.”
The body of the alleged gunman was found by state police at 7:45 p.m. on Friday night, in a recycling center (without specifying whether inside or outside) where he used to work, according to investigators, and from which he had been fired. recently, a fact that some considered significant as the cause of his possible state of anger. Some sources indicated that there was a gun next to his body.
In his car they had recovered his mobile phone and a weapon that matches the one he used to commit the massacre, although the ballistics results are not yet available. He also left his mobile phone behind. And they located a note from Card in which he wrote that they did not expect to find him alive. In that text he gave instructions to others about things they could dispose of, suggesting that, when they read it, he would no longer be in this world.
The suicidal nature of his outburst is something that emerged immediately when it was observed that he entered the two public establishments without using a mask to hide himself. He soon spread the image of him, rifle at the ready, with his face uncovered, a circumstance that showed that he had no intention of hiding.
It took little effort to identify him and his personal history came to light. He heard voices. Some of his relatives explained to police that his mental health had deteriorated rapidly. Last summer he spent two weeks in a psychiatric center, after attending a camp in upstate New York to do military practice with his battalion. His colleagues spoke of erratic behavior and an angry state against others. His internment took place at the end of last July.
For experts, everything indicates that he shot himself shortly after abandoning his white Subaru. He had not been seen again and not even a trace of his whereabouts had been found in these two days. Michael Sauschuck, Maine's public safety commissioner, did not want to specify that information at the press conference, pending the results of the forensic report. He also did not want to go into the circumstances of how the discovery of the deceased had occurred.
One hours before the discovery, in another press conference, Sauschuck revealed the identity of the 18 killed by the killer's AR-15 bullets. His age ranged from 14 to 76 for a man and his wife. In that same appearance, the commissioner announced that the order to remain closed in several cities in the area, including Lewiston and Lisbon, was being lifted. “This does not mean that the crises are over,” he stressed. And he appealed to citizens to take precautions and be vigilant.
That no one had seen the suspect in almost 48 hours raised suspicions. Thus it is understood that many wondered on Friday morning whether the river had swallowed him after Sauschuck's morning appearance.
The commissioner, supported by photographs, announced that the investigation extended to the Androscoggin River. Specifically, to the area of the pier where Card's car was found. “We are going to put divers in the water,” he stressed. The deployment had aerial and sonar technology to detect if there was something at the bottom of the channel, as well as personnel on foot to check the slopes. In fact, the recycling plant where the search ended is next to the river.
Even the electric company that operates the two dams on that river collaborated in this investigation. He reduced the flow of circulating water to facilitate the work of divers. The description of this operation raised a logical question. A reporter asked if investigators had any indication that Card may have taken his own life. “It is more than evident that we have not been able to locate him until now, we have not detained him,” Sauschuck responded. “All options are on the table,” he added.
Relief was the most repeated word after finding Card's body. There are still things to know. Relatives of victims expressed their disappointment at not having found him alive so that he could explain what motivated him to do so much evil. And once again the debate spreads about how a person with mental problems could possess legally purchased weapons.
At that time of night when news of the end of the unrest spread, cell phones in Lewiston rang as they received a public safety alert. “The investigation into Card has ended. Caution is over. "The hunt will resume." But he referred to hunting as a sport.
