- Card’s body was found in the back of an industrial tractor trailer
- The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound
- Officials admitted Saturday that they had already “cleared” the area twice
The Maine mass shooter’s body was discovered in the back of an industrial tractor-trailer in an area that investigators admitted had been “cleared” twice before.
Robert Card, 40, was found Friday night around 7 p.m. by a recycling plant from which he was recently released.
Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck announced in a news conference Saturday morning that the manhunt combed the plant twice and said officers returned to the area only at the direction of the plant manager.
He said the location where the body was found was in a crowded parking lot with about 60 trailers that officials apparently did not know existed.
Mike Sauschuck, Maine’s public safety commissioner, announced in a news conference Saturday morning that investigators combed the facility twice but did not notice there was a crowded parking lot where Card was eventually found
Card’s body was discovered in the back of an industrial tractor-trailer near a recycling plant from which he was recently fired
Officers admitted they “cleared” the area where the body was found twice before finally finding him
40-year-old Army reservist Robert Card killed 18 people and injured 13 others in a horrific mass shooting on Wednesday evening
Much of the investigation focused on possible motives for the massacre that killed 18 people, citing Card’s history of mental illness after he previously reported hearing voices.
But Sauschuck appeared to dismiss that as the main reason, arguing that he knows many local police officers who have been diagnosed with mental illness that pose no threat to their community.
“It’s incredibly important for me to say this, and I say it regularly just because there seems to be a connection to health in this scenario,” he continued.
“The vast, vast majority of people with a health diagnosis are not going to harm anyone.” They’re not going to hurt themselves. They do not pose a threat to the community.
“Just based on the percentages, there are a lot of people here who have a health diagnosis. I know police officers who have a health diagnosis. That doesn’t mean they pose a danger to the community.”
Sauschuck confirmed that officers found a gun in Card’s vehicle when it was discovered hours after the mass shooting, but declined to elaborate on the make of the weapon other than to describe it as a “long gun.”
He added that the manhunt, which lasted over 48 hours, received 821 tips from the public as residents were fearful while he was at large.
Police were criticized by some after Card’s body was found, which Sauschuick appeared to take note of when he said he would question how the manhunt unfolded “for the rest of my life.”
Police guard the crime scene near the recycling plant in Lisbon, Maine after Robert’s body card was found
Officials plan to open mental health and trauma centers in the area, including a public facility for those not directly affected by the massacre but affected by the traumatic incident.
While the manhunt was still ongoing, investigators searched a property associated with Card and found a suicide note inside.
Sauschuck said the letter was not “explicitly” a suicide note, but the “tone” of the letter was intended to be read after he was already dead.
He added that it included aspects common in suicide notes, including access to Card’s bank account and phone number.