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Maine mass killing suspect found dead, ending search that put entire state on edge

  • Law enforcement officers, right, stand near armored and tactical vehicles,...

    Law enforcement officers, right, stand near armored and tactical vehicles, center, near a property on Meadow Road, in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • A member of law enforcement walks with a police dog...

    A member of law enforcement walks with a police dog outside a property on Meadow Road, in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • Law enforcement officers depart a scene in an armored vehicle...

    Law enforcement officers depart a scene in an armored vehicle after investigating a location, in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place as police continue to search for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • A helicopter searches near Lisbon Street on Wednesday night, Oct....

    A helicopter searches near Lisbon Street on Wednesday night, Oct. 25, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine, as a manhunt continues for a mass shooter. Officials say multiple people have died and others were injured, after a man opened fire at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston. (Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via AP)

  • A law enforcement officer blocks a road in Bowdoin, Maine,...

    A law enforcement officer blocks a road in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 during a manhunt for the suspect of Lewiston, Maine mass shootings. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

  • A law enforcement officer blocks a road in Bowdoin, Maine,...

    A law enforcement officer blocks a road in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, during a manhunt for the suspect of a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

  • Law enforcement officers hold rifles while investigating a scene, in...

    Law enforcement officers hold rifles while investigating a scene, in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place as police continue to search for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • Police officers stop to question a driver at a roadblock,...

    Police officers stop to question a driver at a roadblock, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Lisbon, Maine, during a manhunt for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. The shootings took place at a restaurant and bowling alley in nearby Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • Police officers speak with a motorist at a roadblock, Thursday,...

    Police officers speak with a motorist at a roadblock, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Lisbon, Maine, during a manhunt for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. The shootings took place at a restaurant and bowling alley in nearby Lewiston, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • This photo released by the Lewiston Maine Police Department shows...

    This photo released by the Lewiston Maine Police Department shows Robert Card, who police have identified as a person of interest in connection to mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. ( Lewiston Maine Police Department via AP)

  • Jess Paquette expresses her support for her city in the...

    Jess Paquette expresses her support for her city in the wake of Wednesday’s mass shootings at a restaurant and bowling alley, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. Police continue their manhunt for the suspect. Authorities urged residents to lock themselves in their homes and schools announced closures on Thursday. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • Maine State Police Col. William Ross faces reporters, Thursday, Oct....

    Maine State Police Col. William Ross faces reporters, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, during a news conference at Lewiston City Hall, in Lewiston, Maine. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place as police continue to search for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • Maine Gov. Janet Mills faces reporters Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023,...

    Maine Gov. Janet Mills faces reporters Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, during a news conference at Lewiston City Hall, in Lewiston, Maine. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place as police continue to search for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • A law enforcement officer, left, carries a rifle near a...

    A law enforcement officer, left, carries a rifle near a passer-by, right, outside Central Maine Medical Center during an active shooter situation, in Lewiston, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • In this image taken from video released by the Androscoggin...

    In this image taken from video released by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office, an unidentified gunman points a gun while entering Sparetime Recreation in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Maine State Police ordered residents in the state’s second-largest city to shelter in place Wednesday night as the suspect remains at large. (Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

  • Law enforcement officers carry rifles outside Central Maine Medical Center...

    Law enforcement officers carry rifles outside Central Maine Medical Center during an active shooter situation, in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • People depart a reunification center early Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023,...

    People depart a reunification center early Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, at Auburn Middle School, in Auburn, Maine, after shootings in Lewiston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine,...

    Police respond to an active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • A woman is hugged by a man at a reunification...

    A woman is hugged by a man at a reunification center at Auburn Middle School, in Auburn, Maine, after shootings in Lewiston on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. (Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via AP)

  • A sign advises residents to stay home, Thursday, Oct. 26,...

    A sign advises residents to stay home, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, following a mass shooting at a restaurant and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine. Police continue to search for the suspect. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • A police officer stands at a road closure near a...

    A police officer stands at a road closure near a bowling alley, seen in background, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. The site is one of Wednesday’s two mass shootings in the city. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place as police continue to search for the suspect. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • Miia Zellner, an art teacher from Turner, Maine, attaches a...

    Miia Zellner, an art teacher from Turner, Maine, attaches a heart cut-out with a message of positivity to a tree in downtown Lewiston, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Zellner wanted to show her love and support for the community in the wake of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

  • Law enforcement officers hold rifles while investigating a scene, in...

    Law enforcement officers hold rifles while investigating a scene, in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place as police continue to search for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • Law enforcement officers hold rifles while investigating a scene, in...

    Law enforcement officers hold rifles while investigating a scene, in Bowdoin, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Residents have been ordered to shelter in place as police continue to search for the suspect of Wednesday’s mass shootings. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with members of the media...

    Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with members of the media in the aftermath of a mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

  • Law enforcement officials remain on scene Thursday morning, Oct. 26,...

    Law enforcement officials remain on scene Thursday morning, Oct. 26, 2023, at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling center and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, after a mass shooting Wednesday night. Authorities have launched a multistate search on land and water for a U.S. Army reservist who they say fatally shot multiple people at the bowling alley and a bar in Maine. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal via AP)

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By DAVID SHARP, PATRICK WHITTLE, HOLLY RAMER and MICHELLE R. SMITH (Associated Press)

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — The Army reservist who opened fire in a bowling alley and then at a bar in Lewiston, Maine, killing 18 people, was found dead Friday from a self-inflicted gunshot, ending an intensive two-day search that had the state on edge.

Robert Card, a firearms instructor who grew up in the area, was found dead in nearby Lisbon Falls, Gov. Janet Mills said at a Friday night news conference.

“Like many people I’m breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” Mills said.

April Stevens, a Lewiston resident who knew one of the victims, said she was relieved to learn that the “monster and coward” who inflicted so much pain was no longer a danger.

“I’m relieved but not happy,” she said. “There was too much death. Too many people were hurt. Relieved, yes, happy, no.”

Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said Card was found at 7:45 p.m. near the Androscoggin River, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) southeast of where the second shooting occurred Wednesday evening. He declined to divulge the location but an official told The Associated Press the body was at a recycling center from which Card had been fired.

The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mills said she had called President Joe Biden to alert him that Card was dead.

“Tonight we’re grateful that Lewiston and surrounding communities are safe after spending excruciating days hiding in their homes,” Biden said in a statement. He added that “Americans should not have to live like this” and called on Congress to take action on gun violence.

The deadliest shootings in Maine history stunned a state of 1.3 million people that has relatively little violent crime and had only 29 killings in all of 2022. In Lewiston, the 37,000 residents and those in surrounding communities were told to stay in their homes as hundreds of police officers, sheriff’s deputies, FBI agents and other law enforcement officials swarmed the area.

Card, 40, of Bowdoin, was a U.S. Army reservist. Leo Madden, who said he ran Maine Recycling Corp. for decades, told the AP that Card worked there for a couple of years and nothing about him stood out. Madden said he didn’t remember when Card was employed or whether he was fired or quit.

Last summer, Card underwent a mental health evaluation after he began acting erratically during training, a U.S. official told the AP. A bulletin sent to police across the country shortly after the attack said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks after “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.

A U.S. official said Card was training with the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in West Point, New York, when commanders became concerned about him. State police took Card to the Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point for evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the information and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday, Card attacked the bowling alley first, then went to the bar. Police were quickly sent to both locations but Card was able to escape. For the next two days authorities scoured the woods and hundreds of acres of Card’s family-owned property, and sent dive teams with sonar to the bottom of the Androscoggin River.

Law enforcement officials had said they hadn’t seen Card since his vehicle was left at a boat ramp Wednesday shortly after the shootings.

Hours before Card’s body was found, the names and pictures of the 15 men, two women and 14-year-old boy who died in the shootings were released at a news conference.

The victims of the shootings include Bob Violette, 76, a retiree who was coaching a youth bowling league and was described as devoted, approachable and kind. Auburn City Councilor Leroy Walker told news outlets that his son, Joe, a manager at the bar and grill, died going after the shooter with a butcher knife. Peyton Brewer-Ross was a dedicated pipefitter at Bath Iron Works whose death leaves a gaping void in the lives of his partner, young daughter and friends, members of his union said.

The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf said the shootings killed at least four members of their community.

Prior to finding Card’s body, divers searched the water near a boat launch in Lisbon, and a farming business in the same town. At points throughout the day Friday, police vehicles were seen speeding through several towns, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

A gun was found in Card’s car, which was discovered at a boat ramp, and federal agents were testing it to determine if it was used in the shooting, two law enforcement officials told the AP. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Authorities have said publicly that the shooter used at least one rifle. They have not released any other details, including how the suspect obtained the firearm.

Authorities found a suicide note at a home associated with Card on Thursday that was addressed to his son, the law enforcement officials said. They said it didn’t provide any specific motive for the shooting. Authorities also recovered Card’s cellphone in the home, making a search more complicated because authorities routinely use phones to track suspects, the officials said.

The Cards have lived in Bowdoin for generations, neighbors said, and various members of the family own hundreds of acres in the area. The family owned the local sawmill and years ago donated the land for a local church.

Family members of Card told federal investigators that he had recently discussed hearing voices and became more focused on the bowling alley and bar, according to the law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. When he was hospitalized in July in New York, Card had told military officials he had been hearing voices and said he wanted to harm other soldiers, the officials said.

Authorities had banned hunting in several communities, in a state where it is immensely popular. However, following confirmation of Card’s death, a public safety alert was issued that announced: “The search is over for Mr. Card. The caution is over. Hunting may resume.”

The Lewiston shootings were the 36th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

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Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire, Whittle from Portland, Maine, and Smith from Bowdoin, Maine. Associated Press journalists Jake Bleiberg in Portland; Robert Bukaty and Robert Bumsted in Lewiston; David R. Martin in Bowdoin; Michael Balsamo in New York; Darlene Superville and Lolita Baldor in Washington, D.C.; Michael Casey in Boston; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.