The Other McCain

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Maine Manhunt Ends as Authorities Find Body of Lewiston Massacre Gunman

Posted on | October 28, 2023 | Comments Off on Maine Manhunt Ends as Authorities Find Body of Lewiston Massacre Gunman

Surveillance video showed gunman at a bowling alley.

Robert R. Card II “was found dead Friday from a self-inflicted gunshot, ending an intensive two-day search that had the state on edge. . . . Card was found at 7:45 p.m. near the Androscoggin River . . . at a recycling center from which Card had been fired.” In addition to updating that information, I also wanted to clarify that the death toll was 18, and not 22, as originally reported — the inaccurate death count repeated here Wednesday (“Mass Murder in Maine: At Least 22 Killed, Dozens Wounded, Suspect at Large”). In breaking news situations like this, the early reports always have to be considered tentative. Twitter gets flooded with unsubstantiated claims, and even reputable news organizations get facts wrong (e.g., NBC News had the death toll at 22 Wednesday night).

This was what I wrote in an update on my Wednesday post:

Various sources are saying that Robert Card is twice divorced, that one of his ex-wives had a restraining order against him, and that he is a registered sex offender. I haven’t been able to find this information in actual news reports from reputable outlets, and with the “fog of war” factor in the immediate aftermath of an incident like this, one should be cautious about such things. But there are enough people saying this stuff on blogs and social media that I thought I’d share it, with the caveat that it’s not officially confirmed.

It turns out that the Internet sleuths had it wrong — the divorced Maine sex offender is Robert W. Card, not Robert R. Card II, but that’s the kind of mistake that often happens in such situations. So my warning about the “fog of war” factor was vindicated. Background on the gunman:

In an interview Thursday with The Daily Beast, Card’s sister-in-law said he has had acute mental health struggles over the past year. Card started wearing powerful hearing aids, but began hearing things like people “bashing” him, including at the bowling alley and Schemengees, and he would “get mad” when he was told the voices were just in his head, according to the interview.
Card graduated from Mount Ararat High School in Topsham in 2001. He studied engineering at the University of Maine from 2001 to 2004 but did not graduate.
He was licensed as an electrician’s helper from 2004 to 2006, with no disciplinary action on his record. It appears his father, Robert R. Card of Bowdoin, was a master electrician, licensed from 1998 to 2024.
A spokesman for the U.S. Army on Thursday confirmed Card’s military status. Bryce Dubee said Card’s rank in the Army Reserve is sergeant first class, and he is a petroleum supply specialist who enlisted in December 2002 and has not been deployed to combat zones.
Dubee said Card has received awards for his service, including the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.
A former Army Reserve colleague of Card’s told CNN that Card is a skilled marksman and outdoorsman who was among the best shooters in his Army Reserve unit.
Military commanders in the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment, said they observed Card acting erratically while the unit was training at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York. Card was taken to the Keller Army Community Hospital there.
Card was taken by police to be evaluated following erratic behavior in July, according to The Associated Press, which spoke to a U.S. official who asked to remain anonymous.
The police bulletin sent to law enforcement after Wednesday night’s shootings in Lewiston noted Card had been at a mental health facility for two weeks this summer, and he had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base. No information was provided about Card’s treatment or diagnosis.
Sagadahoc County court documents indicate Card has an 18-year-old son with a woman he divorced in 2007, with the couple having shared parental responsibilities and rights. The divorce was granted on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. . . .
An additional amendment to the divorce judgment in 2013 ordered “all weapons in either party’s home shall be under lock and key at all times during which they are not being used.”
Card’s criminal record in Maine shows one prior offense: A misdemeanor-level charge of operating under the influence in Topsham in 2007. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 48 hours in jail, and fined $500, which he paid.

Crazy People Are Dangerous.



 

Category: Crime, Maine

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