Timeline of the Tragedy in Maine
Kaitlyn Kim
Staff Writer
On October 25th, 2023, America had its 36th mass shooting this year. 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, were fatally shot down. Here below is a timeline of the events from the shooting to the inevitable demise of Robert Card.
THE SHOOTING:
The shooting had occurred at a bowling alley and a restaurant on Wednesday night. According to Michael J. Sauschuckk, the Maine Public Safety Commissioner, the shooting had begun shortly before 7 p.m. Along with the Maine State Police, Colonel William Ross stated at a news conference on Thursday that the authorities received an emergency phone call. In it, it was reported that a man was shooting at Sparetime Recreations, a bowling alley, at exactly 6:56 p.m. One witness reported hearing about 10 shots.
Robert Card (Photos courtesy of MSN)
Twelve minutes later, at 7:08 p.m., dispatchers were receiving multiple emergency phone calls that had reported the active shooter inside Schemengees Bar and Grill. The two businesses were relatively close to each other and appeared to be only four miles apart from each other. Maine governor, Janet Mills, also reported at the news conference that 18 were killed and that 13 were injured.
Colonel Ross informed the public that at the bowling alley, 7 people were killed, which consisted of one woman and seven men. At the restaurant, eight people were killed, seven men who were inside the restaurant, and one man outside. All appeared to have died from gunshot wounds, confirming that it was the shooter.
Multiple victims were transferred to hospitals nearby from both scenes, and three of those people have ended up passing, Colonel Ross continues to report.
THE RESPONSE:
At 8:06 p.m., almost exactly an hour after the shooting reportedly ended, the Maine Police stated on their Facebook page that “there is an active shooter situation in the city of Lewiston,” and with that, requested that people shelter in place and remain inside their houses with their doors locked.
At 8:53 p.m., the Lewiston Police Department went back online to report that they were “dealing with an active shooter incident” at the restaurant and bowling alley. They had asked residents within the area to “stay off the roads to allow emergency responders access to the hospitals”.
THE SEARCH:
By 9:05 p.m., the Lewiston Police Department released images. These three images consisted of a person holding a semi-automatic rifle. Details of that person involved his brown shirt, dark pants, and light shoes. Although this person was yet to be identified, the Lewiston Police Department shared the photos on social media asking anyone who can identify the person to call the authorities.
By 9:17 p.m., the Lewiston Police Department then shared a surveillance photo of a white vehicle on social media. In the post, the police offered more details, stating that the front bumper of the car might be painted black, and once again asked anyone who saw the car to call the authorities.
At 11:57 p.m., the Maine State Police said on social media that the car, which was referred to as a “vehicle of interest”, was found in Lisbon, which was a town about 8 miles away from Lewiston.
Previous reporting from CBS News states that the car appears to match a description from the law enforcement bulletin about a vehicle that Richard Card was known to be driving. Police then returned in a bulletin released on Thursday morning that was reviewed by CBS News to state that the “vehicle of interest” was a white Subaru Outback with a black bumper, registered in Maine.
THE SUSPECT:
Richard Card, the name mentioned prior, was acknowledged in a post nearly two hours before the car post, at 10:52 p.m., Tuesday night. In it, the Lewiston Police Department shared a photo of Card on social media, stating that he was a “person of interest” in the shooting. Police had noted that Card should be considered “armed and dangerous” and requested that anyone who sees Card contact officials. The department also went on to state that “If seen, people should not approach Card or make contact with him.”
According to a Maine law enforcement bulletin seen by CBS News, Card was enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. CBS News had confirmed that he was a Petroleum Supply Specialist in the Army Reserve, and had no combat deployments since he had enlisted in 2002. More information on the law enforcement bulletin stated that Card also had recently reported mental health issues, which included hearing voices and had made terroristic threats towards the National Guard base in Saco, threatening to “shoot up” the base. Card also had an active military ID, which allowed him access to military bases. Card was reportedly committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer before association with this case.
Another notable characteristic is Card’s association with Massachusetts. According to CBS News Boston sources, his ties aren’t immediately clear but still apparent. With this, Massachusetts State Police and federal agents were staged at the Maine border, with some staged along the New Hampshire border, to serve as a precaution in case Card attempts to flee out of state. The news had spread to Canada, leading to Canada’s Border Services Agency issuing an “armed and dangerous” alert to its officers along the U.S.-Canada border, according to the Canadian press.
Colonel Ross confirmed that the vehicle of interest was registered to Card, and according to the bulletin, Card had two other vehicles registered under his name, which was a 2022 Yamaha motorcycle and a 2019 Sea Doo green boat. Both were registered in Maine.
In the news conference held Thursday morning, the officials had referred to Card as a “suspect” and said that murder charges are being filed. Colonel Ross went on to state that an arrest warrant charging Card with eight counts of murder has been issued and that more counts would likely be added as the victims are positively identified.
THE PURSUIT:
In the 11:57 p.m. post, the Maine State Police had extended the shelter-in-place order to Lisbon, where the vehicle of interest was found, due to police in the area looking for Card. At 6:13 a.m. on Thursday, the state police had extended the shelter-in-place to include the town of Bowdoin, where Card is from, as well as the city of Auburn, which borders Lewiston.
Numerous schools in the area were also closed due to the shooting danger, according to CBS affiliate WGME-TV. Chief David St. Pierre of the Lewiston Police asked that “the public continue to be mindful of their own personal safety”. By Thursday afternoon, the shelter-in-place extended by entire counties, leading to Androscoggin County and northern Sagadahoc County being under shelter-in-place as well.
The police chief from Lisbon, the town where the suspect’s car was found, also made a statement advising that people contact authorities if any suspicious behavior occurs in their areas. Lisbon Police Chief Ryan McGee’s statement goes, “If something isn’t right, if you look out in your yard and you’re like, that door wasn’t open or, you know, that trailer wasn’t positioned that way if you see anything suspicious, please call us because that’s how we’re going to be able to work together and be able to get to the bottom of this”.
Another news conference on Friday evening involves Maine’s Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael J. Sauschuck returning to state that the shelter-in-place warnings were being lifted, but for residents to remain vigilant.
THE AFTERMATH:
The news conference on Friday evening informed Maine residents that the two-day manhunt was over. Sauschuck stated that the suspect’s body was discovered by law enforcement at about 7:45 p.m., near the river in Lisbon Falls. The suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, implying that Robert Card’s demise was suicide-driven.
A Memorial for the Victims (Photo courtesy of US News)
The Maine governor, Janet Mills, told reporters that she had informed President Joseph Biden to inform him of the news. “Like many people, I’m breathing a sigh of relief that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone,” Mills said.
The victims of the shooting are the following:
William Brackett (1975-2023)
Father and Son: Bill Young (1979-2023) and Aaron Young (2009-2023)
Peyton Brewer-Ross (1983-2023),
Joshua Seal (1987-2023)
Married Couple: Robert Violette (1946-2023) and Lucille Violette (1950-2023)
Best Friends: Michael Deslauriers II (1972-2023) and Jason Walker (1971-2023)
Joe Walker (1966-2023)
Tricia Asselin (1970-2023)
Arthur Strout (1981-2023)
Bryan McFarlane (1982-2023)
Stephen Vozzella (1978-2023)
Thomas Conrad (1989-2023)
Maxx Hathway (1988-2023)
Keith Macneir (1959-2023)
Ronald Morin (1968-2023)
Contact Kaitlyn at kimkaitl@shu.edu