How did Robert Card's spree end in Lisbon, Maine?

The Disaster and Its Immediate Cause

On October 25, 2023, 40-year-old Robert Card carried out a spree shooting in Lewiston, Maine, that resulted in the deaths of 18 people and injuries to 13 others. The violence began at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, where a youth league event was taking place. Card used a Ruger SFAR semi-automatic rifle chambered in .308 Winchester to open fire on patrons. The initial attack lasted only 45 seconds from the moment he entered the building until he departed. During this brief window, he killed eight people and injured three others. The speed and lethality of the first incident set the stage for the subsequent violence that followed shortly after.

Following the bowling alley attack, Card moved to a second location approximately 4 miles south of the first site. He entered the Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant at 7:07:34 p.m. and opened fire as he moved toward the cornhole section. This second shooting contributed to the total casualty count of 18 killed and 13 wounded across both locations. The events in Lewiston marked the deadliest incident in the history of Maine. The scale of the tragedy prompted immediate law enforcement action, including the release of Card's photograph by the Androscoggin Sheriff's Office. Maine State Police initiated a homicide investigation and launched what would become the most extensive manhunt in state history.

First Reports From the Scene

Card utilized a Ruger SFAR semi-automatic rifle equipped with an extended magazine, a flashlight, and an optic. At 6:54:20 p.m., he entered the bowling alley and fired a single shot before the rifle jammed. While attempting to clear the malfunction, two league bowlers, Jason Walker and Michael Deslauriers II, charged at him in an effort to disarm him. Card successfully cleared the jam, loaded a new magazine, and killed both men. He then fired several additional shots at other patrons. Police received the initial emergency call at 6:55:31 p.m. EDT, followed by a series of additional calls. Plainclothes officers at a nearby shooting range also heard the gunfire and responded to the scene.

The entire event lasted 45 seconds from entry to departure. Card fired 18 rounds at the bowling alley, killing eight people and injuring three others. The first officers arrived on the scene within four minutes of the initial call. The record relies on police reports and official timelines to reconstruct the events, documenting the specific actions of the two bowlers who attempted to disarm Card. Their personal motivations or prior knowledge of the suspect are not detailed. The focus remains on the mechanical and temporal aspects of the shooting as recorded by law enforcement.

Rescue, Response, and Fallout

Following the shootings, the Androscoggin Sheriff's Office released a photograph identifying Robert Card as the suspect. This massive search effort continued for nearly two days. On October 27, 2023, forty-nine hours after the initial attack, Maine State Police located Card's body. He was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a tractor-trailer near a recycling center in Lisbon, Maine. The discovery ended the prolonged search and confirmed the suspect's death.

Examination of Card's brain tissue revealed that he suffered from traumatic brain injuries. These injuries were likely attributable to his eight years of service as a grenade instructor, a role that exposed him to repeated blasts. This finding offers a specific medical explanation for his physical state at the time of the incident. The record focuses on the immediate law enforcement response and the forensic findings related to the suspect's health. The manhunt and the subsequent discovery of his body remain the primary documented outcomes of the investigation.

The Questions the Disaster Left Behind

The investigation concluded with the discovery of Robert Card's body in Lisbon, Maine, on October 27, 2023. Forensic analysis of his brain tissue indicated traumatic brain injuries linked to his prior work as a grenade instructor. The event remains a significant marker in the history of violence in the state. The source material provides a detailed account of the timeline, the weapons used, and the law enforcement response. It does not include broader societal impacts or long-term policy changes. The focus remains on the specific facts of the incident, the casualties, and the resolution of the manhunt.

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