In a nightmarish scene that swept through Lewiston, Maine, an unnerving episode of violence erupted on the fateful evening of October 25. The event ended in a tragic loss of eighteen lives across two different locations. With the Governor, Janet Mills, making a public affirmation of the chilling incidents, the subsequent launch of an extensive manhunt that sprawled across the state marked the commencement of a race against time in the pursuit of an armed perpetrator.
The frantic search culminated two days later with the discovery of the suspect, Robert Card, lifeless by the tranquil Androscoggin River in the small Lisbon Falls community located only a few miles away from the Lewiston epicenter. Officials stated that Card appeared to have ended his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A certified firearms instructor and the U.S Army Reserve member was no stranger to handling deadly weapons, an aspect that must have been chillingly familiar to local enforcement and CNN correspondents.
Until the unfortunate discovery, authorities had prepared an arrest warrant carrying multiple murder charges against Card. Dire allegations that connected the 40-year-old directly with the heinous shootings had set balls rolling in the legal sphere hours before the end of his self-imposed exile.
The spark that ignited this grim chain of events began with a seemingly ordinary 911 call at around 6:56 p.m., reporting an instance of gunfire at the Just-In-Time-Recreation-Center, a local bowling alley. Responding instantly to this distress signal, local officers swarmed the site within minutes. After another twelve minutes, another round of 911 calls pervaded the law enforcement communication lines, reporting an active shooter at the Schemengees Bar & Grille.
With lives on the line in a rapidly evolving scene of horrifying violence, surrounding law enforcement agencies made substantial responses, supplementing the efforts of the Lewiston Police Department in identifying and apprehending the possible assailant.
The victims of this grim act, whose ages spanned from the tender age of fourteen to the ripe old age of seventy-six, left families shattered and communities heartbroken. The narratives of eye-witness experiences, particularly those of families fleeing from the bowling alley in terror, painted an eerie backdrop of the horrifying violence.
Officials substantiated the dual reports of active shooter situations while releasing images of a person of interest. This confirmation marked an uptick in the intensity and urgency of the investigation with intensified appeals to the public to remain indoors and a state-wide pacification attempt to diffuse the situation.
In the immediate aftermath, the release of an image of a white vehicle, believed to be connected with this grim operation, amplified the public involvement and the search for Card. As the manhunt intensified, safety advisories were issued with orders to “shelter in place” echoing throughout Lewiston and its neighboring towns.
Despite the realization of their worst fears, local authorities affirmed their unrelenting pursuits promised an end to the widespread panic. Following the discovery of Card’s lifeless body in a disused parking lot, two firearms believed to be his were found alongside him. With these discoveries, the law enforcement’s relentless efforts fruitfully concluded, lifting the state-wide tension.
Governor Janet Mills expressed deep relief, noting that the threat posed by Card no longer loomed over Maine. In her statement, she spoke of healing, marking that night as the beginning of a long path towards recovery for Lewiston and the rest of Maine, a path that no doubt would be marked with resilience and solidarity.
