The multistate manhunt for Robert Card, who is suspected of killing 18 people in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, continued for a second day.

Summary

The multistate manhunt for Robert Card, who is suspected of killing 18 people in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, continued for a second day as thousands of Mainers sheltered at home and schools remained closed.

• Maine Police began trawling the Androscoggin River on Friday, using divers and sonar equipment to search the waterway for any sign of Card.
• Tens of thousands of Mainers remain under a shelter-in-place order, and police said the manhunt could stretch into the next several days.
• Seven of the dead were killed at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, while eight more people were murdered at Schemengees Bar and Grille. Three other people died of their wounds at area hospitals. Some of the victims have been identified by their families:
• Bob Violette, 76, was a father of three and grandfather of six. After he retired from working as a mechanic, he became a volunteer youth bowling coach. Violette was shot and killed at the bowling alley while teaching a class to local young people.
• Michael Deslauriers was at Just-In-Time with his friend Jason Walker, their spouses and their children. Deslauriers and Walker both charged at Card after making sure their families were safe, but both were killed.
• Tricia Asselin, 53, a part-time employee at the bowling alley, was bowling with her sister when the shooter entered Just-In-Time. She was murdered while attempting to call 911.
• Tommy Conrad, 34, was a manager at Just-In-Time recreation when he was murdered. Conrad leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter.
• Bill Young and his son Aaron Young, 14, were murdered at Just-In-Time while they were out competing with their bowling league.
• Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40, the father of a young daughter and a union pipefitter, was participating in a cornhole tournament at Schemengees Bar when he was killed.
• Joseph Walker, 56, the manager of Schemengees Bar, was shot twice after he tried to stop the shooter with a butcher knife.
• Arthur Strout, 42, a father of five, was shot and killed at Schemengees.
• Bill Bracket and Steven Vozzella, who was just married last year, were participating in a cornhole tournament for deaf adults when they were killed.
• Byran MacFarlane, 40, was another member of Lewiston’s deaf community that was participating in the cornhole tournament when he was killed. Joshua Seal, an ASL interpreter, was also murdered at the tournament. 
• Maxx Hathaway, a father of two whose wife is eight months pregnant with their third daughter, was shot and killed at Schemengees while playing pool with a friend. Ron Morin was remembered by his family as “always smiling, happy” and was a well-known face in Lewiston.
• Thirteen others were wounded, including: Thomas Giberti, a Just-In-Time employee who was shot multiple times in the leg trying to get people to safety; Zoey Hutchinson, 10, who was grazed by a bullet; and Justin Karcher, 23, who is on a ventilator in intensive care after being critically wounded in the attack.

• The New York Times compared the hunt for Card to “other difficult manhunts in rural areas, like the long search for Eric Rudolph, the survivalist who set off a bomb in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics, or the recent hunt for Danelo Cavalcante, the convicted murderer who escaped from a Pennsylvania jail in August. Mr. Rudolph hid for five years in the North Carolina mountains before being captured in May 2003 and eventually pleading guilty to the Olympics bombing and other crimes. Mr. Cavalcante was at large for 13 days in rural suburbs of Philadelphia before he was captured and sent to one of the state’s most secure prisons.”
• According to BBC News, hundreds of law enforcement personnel are involved in the search for Card, who is a US Army reservist. Police searched a Bowdoin, Maine residence connected to Card on Thursday.
• NBC News reported police are searching the river because Card’s car was found nearby. Authorities also found additional evidence along the shores of the Androscoggin, and have not ruled out a recovery operation in the event Card committed suicide and his body is in the water.

• A veritable alphabet soup of government agencies has joined the hunt for Card, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, DHS, and the Coard Guard. According to Fox News, the elite Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) has also joined the manhunt.
• The New York Post reported that police discovered a “mysterious” note at Card’s home that may speak to Card’s motive for the twin massacres. The contents of the note have not yet been publicly revealed.
• According to Breitbart, Card had a long history of mental health issues and was evaluated by police just this past July after military officials began to express worries about his behavior.

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© Dominic Moore, 2023