In a tragic incident, a shooting rampage in Lewiston, Maine, has left 18 people dead and 13 injured at a bar and a bowling alley. The suspected mass murderer, Robert Card, remains at large as police continue their search. Dive teams are searching the Androscoggin River near the boat ramp where Card's abandoned car was found. Tactical teams, including state and local police, as well as the ATF and FBI, have executed search warrants at properties linked to the suspect in his hometown. Authorities are also checking for potential camps or bunkers that Card may have prepared in the wilderness.
To assist in the manhunt, agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, and the Border Patrol's elite BORTAC unit have been called in. The U.S. Coast Guard has conducted searches in the Kennebec River and Boothbay Harbor. Card's vehicle records indicate he has owned multiple boats, and at least one is unaccounted for. He also has access to a motorcycle. It is unclear which direction Card took off in or what vehicle he may be using.
Law enforcement experts believe that Card, with his military experience, may be aware of techniques to disguise himself from infrared search technology. There have been unconfirmed sightings of Card in Boothbay Harbor, Massachusetts, and even New York City. It is suspected that he may be monitoring news coverage of the case and following police activity with a scanner.
Card's recent mental illness incident, which involved him allegedly hearing voices and threatening to shoot up a National Guard base, raises questions about why he still had access to firearms despite the state's "Yellow Flag" law. This law allows police to seek a medical evaluation for individuals who may pose a danger to themselves or others. Firearms experts and Second Amendment advocates question how individuals like Card are able to obtain guns.
As the manhunt continues, Lewiston and the surrounding areas have been placed under a lockdown order. Police have urged anyone with information on Card's whereabouts to come forward. The streets are mostly empty, with many businesses closed. The situation remains a cause for concern, and the community anxiously awaits Card's capture.