The residents of Lewiston, Maine, are embarking on a path to healing after a man suspected of killing 18 people earlier this week was found deadand a bar earlier this week 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.
Jim Ferguson, the ATF special agent in charge in Boston, told The Associated Press that the weapons used in the shooting had been purchased legally. Many firearms were recovered although he declined to say their make, model or how many exactly.At a press conference, Sauschuck said Card had a history of mental illness. As for why Card chose his targets, Sauschuck said it was likely due to paranoia, that “people were talking about him and there may even have been some voices at play.
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.
The Maine Department of Public Safety said it would open a Family Assistance Center in Lewiston starting Saturday morning to offer help and support to victims at the Lewiston Armory.