Intensive Manhunt Continues for Suspect in Maine’s Deadliest Mass Shooting, Residents Stay Indoors

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Residents of Maine are on edge and have opted to remain in their homes for a second consecutive night as an extensive search operation continues for Robert Card. Card, an Army reservist, is accused by authorities of taking 18 lives in a bar and a bowling alley in what has become the state’s most lethal mass shooting.

On Thursday, the manhunt largely concentrated on a rural property in Bowdoin owned by one of Card’s relatives. A sizable contingent of FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel surrounded the residence, and multiple announcements were made, urging Card and any other occupants to surrender themselves.

Normally in situations involving violent suspects, law enforcement would move swiftly to enter the premises after executing warrants. However, after hours of repeated calls to surrender and subsequent searching, authorities vacated the location, leaving it uncertain whether Card had ever been present there, according to state police.

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Richard Goddard, a resident of the road where the search was conducted, is acquainted with the Card family. Goddard indicates that Robert Card, who is four years his junior, knows the local terrain intimately. “He was raised in this area. He knows every possible hiding spot here,” Goddard remarked.

As law enforcement officers diligently search multiple residences and follow all leads, Card, a 40-year-old with firearms instructor training, is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached, warn the authorities.

Card is suspected of carrying out the shootings with at least one rifle in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city, located approximately 15 miles from Bowdoin. The attacks resulted in 18 fatalities and left 13 people injured, three of whom remain in critical condition in the hospital.

Despite the ongoing investigations, authorities have yet to confirm the number and origin of the firearms used in the attacks.

Public facilities such as schools, healthcare offices, and grocery stores have been shuttered, affecting areas even 50 miles away from the crime scenes. Streets in affected communities were largely deserted late Thursday, with only the occasional police patrol breaking the silence.

Schools in Lewiston will continue to be closed on Friday, and a decision regarding Portland schools will be made in the morning. Bates College in Lewiston has also canceled Friday’s classes and postponed the inauguration of its first Black president.

April Stevens, a resident of the neighborhood where one of the shootings occurred, remains on high alert. She personally knew one of the deceased victims and another who needed surgery. “We’re praying for everyone,” Stevens shared, visibly emotional.

Governor Janet Mills vowed to leave no stone unturned in the quest to apprehend Card and to bring justice to the victims and their families.

Further details about Card’s recent behavior have come to light. A U.S. official disclosed that Card underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after displaying erratic behavior with his reserve unit.

This mass shooting has left the state, which has one of the lowest homicide rates in the country, deeply shocked. Maine has a population of only 1.3 million and recorded 29 homicides in the entire year of 2022.

A bulletin disseminated to police departments nationwide disclosed that Card had been institutionalized for two weeks during the summer for hearing voices and making threats to attack a military installation.

Law enforcement agencies continue their tireless search for Card, utilizing both land and water resources in their efforts. The Coast Guard deployed a patrol boat along the Kennebec River but found nothing unusual, according to Chief Petty Officer Ryan Smith.

A vehicle believed to belong to Card was found near a boat launch in Lisbon, close to the Androscoggin River that links to the Kennebec. Card’s 15-foot boat is still unaccounted for.

This event marks the 36th mass killing in the United States for the year, as reported by a database maintained by The Big Big News and USA Today, in collaboration with Northeastern University.

Contributions to this report were made by Big Big News journalists Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Robert Bukaty in Lewiston, Maine; Darlene Superville and Lolita Baldor in Washington, D.C.; Michael Casey in Boston; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Big Big News researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about manhunt

More about manhunt

• Maine Mass Shooting: What We Know So Far
• Profile of Suspect Robert Card
• Manhunt in Maine: Live Updates
• Statewide Reactions and Safety Measures
• Maine’s Gun Laws and Legislation
• US Mass Killings Database
• Official Statements from Maine State Officials
• Victims of the Maine Mass Shooting
• Community Responses and Vigils