The worst mass shooting in the state's history occurred on Wednesday night when Card allegedly opened fire at a bowling alley and then a bar and killed 18 people.and killed 18 people purchased his weapons legally, authorities said Saturday, adding he likely launched his rampage as a result of underlying mental health issues.
He did not elaborate. But Sauschuck said there was no evidence that Card had ever been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. A simple evaluation or voluntary commitment would not have triggered a prohibition on owning a gun, he said. Street life returned to Lewiston on Saturday after a dayslong lockdown in the city of 37,000. Joggers took advantage of the warm weather. People walked dogs through downtown and picked up coffee and visited other shops that had been closed since the shooting.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Card had been found dead at a Friday night news conference. Then, she called for the healing process to begin. Last summer, Card underwent a mental health evaluation after he began acting erratically during Army training, a U.S. official told the AP. A bulletin sent to police across the country shortly after the attack said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks after “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.