On October 25, 2023. Eighteen individuals dead, and thirteen more people were left injured in Maine, as the city of Lewiston descended into chaos. This incident marks one of the deadliest mass shootings recently.
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The man at the center of this tragedy is Robert Card, a 40-year-old Army reservist with a history of mental health issues.
Card, who was recently discharged from a mental health facility after experiencing hallucinations and making threats, is now the subject of a massive manhunt.
With a background as a firearms instructor in the U.S. Army Reserve, his training and access to weapons have added a concerning dimension to this event.
The shootings unfolded in two locations in Lewiston, a city with a history of low crime rates. The first site of horror was Sparetime Recreation, a local bowling alley, where seven people lost their lives, including six men and one woman.
The second shooting took place at Schemengees Bar and Grille, located about four miles away from the bowling alley.
Seven males inside the establishment and one outside were killed. Three additional victims succumbed to their injuries at an area hospital.
Law enforcement agencies swiftly responded to the incident, with local police and neighboring agencies descending on the scenes of the shootings.
Hundreds of police officers, along with approximately 80 FBI agents and federal marshals, initiated a manhunt to locate the armed and dangerous suspect, Robert Card.
The search for Card extended to his hometown of Bowdoin, where authorities believed he had local knowledge and connections.
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Despite intensive efforts, Card remained at large a full day after the shootings. In most mass shootings, suspects are located within minutes, but this case presented a unique challenge, as Card continued to evade capture.
The aftermath of this tragedy has left the community of Lewiston and the entire state of Maine in mourning.
Schools, doctor’s offices, and grocery stores closed their doors, and residents across the region were advised to stay indoors, lock their doors, and remain vigilant.
The incident extended as far as 50 miles from the scenes of the shootings, with even Canada’s Border Services Agency issuing an “armed and dangerous” alert to its officers stationed along the U.S.-Canada border.
The shock and sadness were palpable, with residents like April Stevens, who lived near one of the shooting locations, expressing her grief and concern for the victims and their families.
The attacks were jarring in a state with one of the lowest homicide rates in the country, recording only 29 killings in all of 2022.
Maine Governor Janet Mills pledged to do everything necessary to find Robert Card and hold him accountable for the atrocity, vowing to seek full justice for the victims and their families. The event has also sparked discussions about gun control and mental health issues in the United States.
Maine, like many states, has a strong tradition of gun ownership, deeply rooted in hunting and sport shooting.
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While the state has taken steps to address dangerous individuals with its “yellow flag” law, critics argue that it falls short of the more comprehensive “red flag” laws in place in other states.
These red flag laws empower authorities to seek a medical evaluation of individuals believed to be dangerous before attempting to confiscate their firearms.
One critical aspect of this tragedy is the suspect’s troubled mental health history. Robert Card’s disturbing behavior, which included hearing voices and making threats to shoot up a military base, led to a mental health evaluation in mid-July.
He spent two weeks in a mental health facility during the summer, shedding light on the complex relationship between mental health issues and access to firearms.
The investigation into Card’s history and motives is ongoing, and it remains to be seen whether any missed warning signs or opportunities for intervention will come to light.
Many are calling for stricter regulations on firearm ownership and the need for measures to prevent individuals with a history of mental health issues from accessing firearms.
President Joe Biden, who was briefed on the shootings, urged Congress to pass gun control measures and address the alarming frequency of mass shootings in the country.
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