Lewiston Shooting Suspect Found Dead Two Days After Attack

Robert Card, the man accused of killing 18 people and injuring 13 during an attack in Lewiston on October 25th, was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound last Friday evening.

Emily Hedegard, Co-Editor in Chief • October 31, 2023

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke taken from Penn Live Patriot News

Card, a 40-year-old US Army Reservist, was issued an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder after firing a military-style semi-automatic rifle into crowds of people at Schemengees Bar and Sparetime Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston.

Card was discovered in a trailer at an overflow lot belonging to Maine Recycling Corporation, a place he had previously worked at before voluntarily leaving. His time of death is still unknown.

Maine Recycling Corporation had been searched and cleared by police twice before the overflow lot where Card was found was checked.

During the manhunt, many businesses and schools remained closed, and several towns, such as Lisbon and Lewiston, were placed under lockdown. The entire community was gripped by anxiety, tentatively anticipating the day when Card would be apprehended.

“The situation was nothing short of terrifying. My boyfriend is a student at Bates, so is his sister. I was on FaceTime with him when I heard the news. Once Card was found, I was finally able to breathe again. I felt relief and gratitude that my boyfriend and his sister were okay; that they were not one of the victims,” said Julia Manning, a sophomore medical biology major with a minor in English.

Now that the manhunt has concluded, UNE, which resumed classes last Friday, October 27th, will no longer require the use of Student IDs to enter all buildings.

President Herbert emailed students, faculty, and staff at 10:45 am Saturday the 28th, informing the UNE community of Card’s death, as well as discussing the assumed ripple effect this shooting will have. “Maine is a beautiful and special place, a place we are proud to call home. While it continues to be one of the safest parts of the nation, we now know that we are not immune to extreme acts of violence that plague our society. In the coming days, we will continue to process what has happened, hold our loved ones close, and support one another,” wrote President Herbert. The rest of the email can be found here.

UNE will host a student-organized vigil this Wednesday, November 1st, at 4:45 pm on the Ripich Commons lawn. This vigil is intended to “honor the lives lost in the Lewiston mass shootings and to recognize the impact on our community,” President Herbert stated.