Follow this link for our current live coverage of the Maine mass shootings investigation and death of suspect Robert Card.
October 27, 2023 news on the Maine shootings investigation
By Jessie Yeung, Leinz Vales, Alisha Ebrahimji, Aditi Sangal, Elise Hammond, Emma Tucker and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 11:44 a.m. ET, October 28, 2023
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The Lewiston shooting rampage suspect was found dead tonight. Here's what you need to know
Lewiston shooting suspect Robert Card was found dead Friday evening, state Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck told reporters. Here are the latest developments:
- Card died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound: Law enforcement found Card's body around 7:45 p.m. ET, Sauschuck said at a news conference Friday night, adding that he died from an a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was found near the Androscoggin River in the Lisbon Falls area, some 10 miles from Lewiston, where the Wednesday night shooting rampage unfolded.
- A 48-hour manhunt: Law enforcement had been conducting an intensive manhunt for Card following the Wednesday evening shootings. The search prompted shelter-in-place orders and the shutdown of schools and businesses as teams searched the area.
- About the attack: Wednesday's mass shooting at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston left 18 people dead and another 13 injured. The attack was the deadliest US mass shooting since last year’s massacre at a school in Uvalde, Texas. Read more about the lives of the victims.
Biden grateful Maine residents are safe "after spending excruciating days hiding in their homes"
President Joe Biden Joe Biden said he is grateful Maine residents are safe “after spending excruciating days hiding in their homes.”
Biden, in a statement Friday night after the suspect in Maine’s shooting rampage was found dead, said his administration will continue “to provide everything that is needed to support the people of Maine.”
The president also reiterated his call to Congress to address gun violence.
“Americans should not have to live like this,” he said in the statement. “I once again call on Republicans in Congress to fulfill their obligation to keep the American people safe. Until that day comes, I will continue to do everything in my power to end this gun violence epidemic. The Lewiston community – and all Americans – deserve nothing less.”
The White House said Biden spoke by phone twice this evening with Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
CNN's Aileen Graef contributed reporting to this post.
Lewiston shooting survivor says suspect's death is a relief but there are "questions left unanswered"
From CNN's Raja Razek
Shooting survivor Tammy Asselin reacted to news of the Lewiston shooting suspect's death on Friday.
"It is relieving so that the community itself can definitely move on without the fear of him out there, but it is also sad because we have so many questions left unanswered," Asselin told CNN's Kaitlan Collins while holding back tears.
Asselin was separated from her 10-year-old daughter as the shooting began at the Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley on Wednesday. She lost her cousin, Tricia Asselin, in the shooting.
"I know it does give my daughter some peace to know that he has been caught because that was a fear of hers that he's still out there."
Wednesday's shooting rampage at a restaurant and bowling alley left at least 18 dead and 13 wounded.
Lawmaker who represents Lewiston: We "can feel safe that this threat has ended"
From CNN's Paradise Afshar
Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who's district includes Lewiston, said communities across Maine can "feel safe that this threat has ended" following news the shooting rampage suspect has been found dead.
"With the news that the murderer responsible for Wednesday's shooting has been found dead, the people of Lewiston and the surrounding communities can feel safe that this threat has ended,” Golden said in a statement on X.
He continued:
"I know that we will all continue to pray for and care for the families who have lost loved ones, for the wounded, and for the survivors who experienced this terrible shooting. This is a time for mourning the loss of life and to honor the memory of each one of these members of our greater community.”
Earlier this week, Golden, who had opposed efforts to ban assault weapons, reversed his position in light of the shooting that left 18 dead and 13 injured.
Maine senator says President Biden informed her of the Lewiston shooting suspect's death
From CNN’s Paradise Afshar
Maine Sen. Susan Collins said President Joe Biden called her Friday evening to inform her of the death of the Lewiston shooting suspect, Robert Card.
“Tonight, Mainers can breathe a collective sigh of relief thanks to the brave first responders who worked night and day to find this killer,” Collins wrote on X. "When President Biden called me this evening to tell me the perpetrator of the heinous attacks in Lewiston had been found, we both expressed our profound appreciation for the courage and determination of these brave men and women.”
Collins went on to address the families impacted by the massacre.
“To the families who lost loved ones and to those injured by this attack, I know that no words can diminish the shock, pain, and justifiable anger you feel,” Collins said. “It is my hope that you will find solace and strength in knowing that you are in the hearts of people throughout Maine and across the nation.”
Hunting restrictions across Maine have been lifted, commissioner says
From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch
Hunting restrictions have been lifted across Maine, the state's commissioner of public safety, Michael Sauschuck, said Friday.
Earlier Friday, Sauschuck announced that hunting was prohibited in Lewiston, Lisbon, Bowdoin and Monmouth until further notice.
At Friday night's news conference, Sauschuck said hunting would reopen tomorrow now that the body of mass shooting suspect Robert Card has been found.
"The resident hunting opportunity for tomorrow is open across the state of Maine to include those four communities," he said.
Hunting season begins for residents in the state on Saturday, as CNN previously reported.
Past high-profile law enforcement manhunts have impacted hunters, such as the 2014 manhunt for an accused cop-killer in Pennsylvania. During that weeks-long search, Pennsylvania authorities temporarily restricted hunting in certain regions of the state being searched by law enforcement, citing public safety concerns.
CNN’s Sara Smart, Michelle Watson and Josh Campbell contributed reporting.
Law enforcement found suspect's body around 7:45 p.m. ET tonight
Law enforcement found the body of shooting rampage suspect Robert Card around 7:45 p.m. ET, Maine Commissioner for Public Safety Michael Sauschuck said at a news conference Friday night.
He would not give the exact location, but said the body was found near the river in Lisbon Falls, which is about 10 miles from Lewiston, where the Wednesday night shooting rampage unfolded.
Lewiston shooting rampage suspect "is no longer a threat to anyone," Maine governor says
Maine Gov. Janet Mills confirmed the death of the Lewiston shooting rampage suspect Robert Card late Friday, saying he "is no longer a threat to anyone."
"Now is the time to heal," Mills said at a Friday news conference. "With this search concluded, I know that law enforcement continues to fully investigate all the facts so we can bring what closure we can to the victims and their families."
Police had been searching for Card since the shootings on Wednesday evening.
Maine Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Sauschuck confirmed Friday that Card died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The governor said she has called President Joe Biden as well as senators and lawmakers from Maine.
“On behalf of all Maine people, I want to express my profound gratitude for their unwavering bravery, determination and fortitude,” Mills said of the law enforcement officers involved in the case.
CNN's Jamiel Lynch contributed reporting to this post.