Lewiston, Maine was left in shock on Wednesday night after a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar. Police immediately launched a search for the shooter and urged residents and businesses to lock down. Law enforcement officials later identified Robert Card, a 40-year-old Army Reserve Sgt 1st class, as the suspect in the shootings that resulted in 18 deaths and 13 injuries. On Friday, it was announced that Card’s body had been found in woodlands near a recycling center where he used to work in the town of Lisbon.

Police released information about the gunman, stating that Robert Card was the “person of interest” and later the suspect in the shooting. Photos of the gunman showed him wearing brown clothes and carrying an AR-15-style rifle. Authorities revealed that the first calls identifying the gunman came from his relatives, and they noted a potential mental health issue but found no records of him being forcibly committed for treatment. Card had served as a firearms instructor in the US Army Reserve.

According to a Maine law enforcement bulletin seen by the Associated Press, Card had disclosed mental health issues and had previously been admitted to a mental health facility. He had experienced auditory hallucinations and had made threats to attack the National Guard Base in Saco. Card’s sister-in-law described him as a loving and hardworking person who had recently been struggling with his mental health.

The suspect had shown interest in right-wing political figures and themes on X (formerly Twitter). He had liked posts from Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, and Jordan Peterson, focusing on content related to anti-trans views, gun rights, the coronavirus, and the economy. However, his social media activity does not indicate that the shooting was politically motivated.

On Wednesday evening, the shootings occurred at Just In Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille in Lewiston. Eighteen people were killed, and 13 others were injured. Law enforcement continued their search for the gunman throughout Thursday, deploying diving teams in the Androscoggin River. On Friday, the shooter’s body was discovered in a box trailer at the Maine Recycling Corporation after a 48-hour manhunt. It is believed that he died by suicide.

Following the tragedy, schools and businesses in Lewiston and surrounding areas were placed on lockdown. The community is now beginning to heal, with events resuming and vigils planned for the victims. The wider reaction to the attacks has been…