FBI special task force mobilized for search… State border level rises
The suspect in a shopping mall shooting that occurred in Maine, northeastern United States, has not been caught for more than 24 hours. Local authorities urged residents to be vigilant.
According to CNN and the Washington Post (WP) on the 26th (local time), investigative authorities were unable to secure the identity of Robert Card (40) from Bowdoin, Maine, who was designated as a suspect in the incident until this night, 24 hours after the incident occurred.
Card is accused of shooting at bowling alleys and restaurants in the Lewiston commercial area around 7 p.m. on the 25th, the previous day, killing at least 18 people and injuring 13 others. There was a report that a shooting occurred at a Walmart warehouse, but it was confirmed to be untrue.
Authorities immediately began tracking down the suspect, but were unable to arrest him even after identifying him 24 hours after the crime. Police believe he is armed and dangerous and have advised residents not to approach him.
On this day, police authorities used a search warrant in the Bowdoin area, Card’s residence, to search local residential areas. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special SWAT (SWAT) was also mobilized for the search, but it is unclear whether the card was actually at the search site.
According to reports, as many as 80 FBI agents have been mobilized to date in the process of handling this case and tracking down suspects. It is said that they searched the card’s latest address to secure evidence such as computers and weapons related to this crime.
In addition to the FBI, state and city law enforcement officials appear to have searched Card’s car and other locations. It is still unclear what was secured through the search and the card’s approximate whereabouts.
There is a delay in securing a new identity for the shooting suspect, and local residents as well as government offices appear to be on heightened alert. In Auburn, near the shooting, the mayor urged residents to be aware of their surroundings and not let down their guard.
In addition, some school districts and universities in Maine decided to temporarily close until the 27th as the shooting suspect was not caught. Public schools in the Lewiston area, where the shooting occurred, also decided to remain closed until the 27th.
This incident is considered the most damaging shooting incident in the United States this year. This year, a total of 34 mass shootings have occurred in the United States, including the Monterey Park, California, shooting in January.
The suspect, Card, is known to have been in the Army Reserve and enlisted in 2002. It is known that he has no actual battlefield deployment experience and has a history of receiving treatment at a mental health center last summer for problems such as auditory hallucinations.
It is said that he attended Maine State University from 2001 to 2004, but did not graduate. Initially, it was reported that he was a qualified firearms instructor, but WP later cited the Army and reported that he did not work as an instructor during his service.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.