Maine Shooting Suspect May Have Targeted Deaf Friends, Relative Says
Maine shooting suspect Robert Card had prescribed two hearing aids in recent weeks before he massacred 18 people, RadarOnline.com has learned, which he claimed allowed him to hear people disparaging him at Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant.
A multistate manhunt remains underway for the Army reservist and firearms instructor, 40, who is still at large after fleeing the scene.
“He truly believed he was hearing people say things. This all just happened within the last few months,” his sister-in-law, Katie Card, said.
The gunman began his vicious killing spree in Lewiston, Maine, by fatally shooting seven people at the Just-in-Time bowling alley on Wednesday night, then driving miles away to Schemengee’s Bar, where they were holding a deaf cornhole tournament.
Four deaf men were among the eight people he slaughtered there. Three individuals shot at that same location later succumbed to their injuries and died in the hospital.
Katie told The Daily Beast that Card would “get mad” when people tried to convince him that nobody was talking about him.
“I have known Rob my whole life. He is quiet but the most loving, hardworking, and kind person that I know,” she added. “But in the past year, he had an acute episode of mental health, and it’s been a struggle.”
Senior law enforcement officials said investigators are carefully reviewing the contents of a note discovered in the home of Card during the course of a search warrant executed at the house.
It is questioned whether or not the suspect may have been targeting a specific individual, who is believed to be a current or former girlfriend, during his massacre.
A firearm was reportedly discovered in a white Subaru that was located at a boat dock in the neighboring town of Lisbon Wednesday night. It’s unknown if that was the firearm used during the attack. Police believe he may have fled on a jet ski belonging to him or a previously registered 15-foot Bayliner boat.
Given his background, authorities speculate that Card may have changed his appearance and could utilize his military experience to remain at large and potentially plot another attack. The country has been told to stay vigilant until he is captured.
Governor Janet Mills said, “I know it’s hard for us to think about healing when our hearts are broken, but I want every person in Maine to know that we will heal together.”
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“We are strong, we are resilient, we are a very caring people, and in the days and weeks ahead, we will need to lean on those qualities more than ever before.”
