AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine state police faced criticism for the delay in their search for a gunman who carried out the deadliest shooting in the state’s history, leaving 18 people dead. The gunman, Robert Card, was found dead by suicide two days after the shooting, despite police locating his abandoned car early on.
During a testimony to an independent panel appointed by the governor, State Police Chief Col. Bill Ross described the shooting as “extremely challenging” due to its two separate locations and the intense search that followed. The decision to delay the search for Card in the woods around his abandoned car was explained by Maj. Lucas Hare, who cited concerns about Card’s potential access to night-vision capabilities and thermal gun scopes as a former Army reservist.
The tension and confusion during the search were also detailed, with hundreds of officers from various police agencies descending on the area and multiple hoax calls diverting resources. Despite responding to dozens of leads and chasing down 821 tips, it took two days for police to find Card’s body at a recycling center, along with a handgun, an AR-15-style rifle, and over 200 rounds of ammunition nearby.
The delay in finding Card’s body has prompted the assembly of an independent commission by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey to investigate whether changes are needed to prevent future mass shootings, especially in light of previous warnings about Card’s deteriorating mental health.
It was also revealed that Card had fired at least 54 shots at the two locations using a .308-caliber rifle, spending only 45 seconds at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley and 72 seconds at Schemengees Bar & Grille. The state’s chief medical examiner concluded that Card likely died eight to 12 hours before his body was discovered, meaning that he was alive during much of the search.
Notably, both police and the Army were warned about Card’s deteriorating mental health in the months leading up to the shooting, with relatives expressing concern about his access to weapons and a fellow reservist warning of a potential mass shooting. Despite efforts by law enforcement and the Army to address these warnings, Card remained at large up until the tragic shooting.