Robert Card, the prime suspect in a mass shooting spree that left 18 people dead in Maine on Wednesday, is a gun-obsessed former soldier with a history of mental health issues.
Card, 40, was admitted to a mental health facility this summer, according to a state law enforcement bulletin obtained by NBC News. The details of his condition and treatment weren’t immediately available.
The bulletin also stated that Card was hearing voices and had once threatened to shoot up a National Guard base in Saco, Maine. Card also made statements targeting his own unit, which alarmed his military reserve commanders, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Just a reminder that, until the moment he opened fire at the bowling alley in Lewiston, Robert Card was a good guy with a gun. pic.twitter.com/MJfTmVcUjG
— Louis Klarevas (@Klarevas) October 27, 2023
Card didn’t appear to have any previous charges related to violence in Maine, according to public records. However, he was known in his hometown of Bowdoin, Maine as a “gun fanatic.”
Updated US Army statement on SFC Robert Card:
"There are no records to indicate he instructed or participated in any training. The Army did not train SFC Card as a firearms instructor, nor did he serve in that capacity for the Army." pic.twitter.com/V7fjidXdhr
— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) October 26, 2023
Related articles
“It’s known in the town to stay away from them and to not approach them,” Liam Kent, who grew up in Bowdoin, told NBC News. “If you see them, just turn around and walk away.”
Card also studied engineering at the University of Maine from 2001 to 2004.
Breaking News – Locals in Lewiston, Maine have reported that Robert Card and his father were people you just avoided. Both are known gun fanatics and get this…
Members of a radical Right Wing group called the Maine Militia, which supports Donald Trump.
Absolutely. gross. pic.twitter.com/j8Q3B2s1Le
— DonkConnects ♻️™ ➐ (@donkoclock) October 26, 2023
His social media suggests a violent conservative media diet. On X, formerly Twitter, Card often liked posts from former President Donald Trump, conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson, and a professor who taught about terrorism. He also liked a March post from Donald Trump Jr. following a mass shooting in Nashville that read, “rather than talking about guns we should be talking about lunatics pushing their gender affirming bulls**t on our kids?” Card’s X account was suspended after the shooting.
Card’s whereabouts are unknown, but police found his abandoned vehicle at a boat launch area in Lisbon Falls, Maine. According to public records, Card has two watercraft registered to his name, including a 1989 Bayliner.
Police are urging anyone with information about Card’s whereabouts to contact them immediately.
pic.twitter.com/zOymc08QnB#BREAKING: Police and other agencies have surrounded a home on Meadow Road in Bowdoin Maine and are using an intercom announcing, "Robert Card, you are under arrest. We know you are inside. #Lewiston #Maine #ROBERT #CARD #ROBERTCARD
— Woodhouse Michael (@WoodMichaelArt) October 27, 2023
Discussion about this post