Maine mass killing suspect found dead in recycling plant two days after shooting

A US army reservist accused of killing 18 people in Maine was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a recycling plant trailer after a 48-hour manhunt, police said on Saturday.

The body of Robert R Card (40) was discovered on Friday night at a recycling plant in Lisbon Falls, where he worked at one point, less than 1.5km from where police had found his abandoned getaway vehicle shortly after his shooting spree in Lewiston on Wednesday night.

A Maine State Police tactical team discovered Card’s body in an unlocked trailer in an overflow parking lot of the recycling plant, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck told reporters on Saturday.

Officers had cleared the plant twice in the course of their search, Mr Sauschuck said, as they believed Card had some “employment relation” to the business, but had missed the extra parking lot, where about 60 box trailers full of crushed plastic and metal were parked, he said.

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Officials said they recovered a long rifle in Card’s abandoned white Subaru and two guns on his body, without confirming the make and model. All the weapons were apparently purchased by Card legally, a representative for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said.

A total of 18 people were killed and 13 others were wounded in Wednesday night’s carnage, which began when the gunman opened fire with a rifle inside the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston then launched another attack minutes later at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant.

The victims’ ages ranged from 14 to 76.

Officials have not confirmed a possible motive, but Mr Sauschuck said on Saturday that there was “a mental health component” to the tragedy.

He said police found a note left at Card’s house, addressed to a loved one, which listed the passcode to his phone and bank account information. “I wouldn’t describe it as an explicit suicide note, but the tone and tenor was that the individual was not going to be around,” Mr Sauschuck said.

The shootings and prolonged manhunt terrorised the normally bustling but serene community of Lewiston, a former textile hub and the second-most populous city in Maine. It lies on the banks of the Androscoggin River, about 60km north of the state’s largest city, Portland.

The governor of Maine Janet Mills said on Friday night at a press conference: “The Maine State Police have located the body of Robert Card in [the town of] Lisbon. He is dead.”

She said she was breathing a sigh of relief that he was no longer a threat to anyone.

She said police were still investigating the facts surrounding the shooting.

Republican senator for Maine Susan Collins said that US president Joe Biden had called her on Friday evening to confirm the death of the Lewiston mass shooting suspect.

She said that the state “can breathe a collective sigh of relief”.

The governor said that Card’s death “may not bring solace to many”.

She said it was “now time to heal”.

[ Maine mass shooting reopens the question of tougher gun control laws in the US ]

In a statement, Mr Biden described the events of recent days in Lewiston as tragic, not just for the city but for the entire country.

“Once again, an American community and American families have been devastated by gun violence. In all, at least 18 souls brutally slain, more injured, some critically, and scores of family and friends praying and experiencing trauma no one ever wants to imagine.

“Numerous brave law enforcement officers have worked around the clock to find this suspect and prevent the loss of more innocent life – all while risking their own. They are the best of us,” he said. “Tonight we’re grateful that Lewiston and surrounding communities are safe after spending excruciating days hiding in their homes.”

He added that “Americans should not have to live like this” and called on Congress to take action on gun violence.

“I once again call on Republicans in Congress to fulfill their obligation to keep the American people safe. Until that day comes, I will continue to do everything in my power to end this gun violence epidemic. The Lewiston community – and all Americans – deserve nothing less.”

Democratic Party representative Jared Golden, who represents Lewiston, said with the manhunt over, it was now “a time for mourning the loss of life and to honour the memory of each one of these members of our greater community”.

A bulletin sent to police across the country shortly after the attack said the US Army reservist had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks during 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. - Additional reporting: AP