Last week on Wednesday evening, November 1,  a man named Robert Card killed eighteen people ranging from children to adults in Lewiston, Maine at a local bowling alley and restaurant. The area is a highly populated area with many colleges surrounding it. It was reported that the local bowling alley was hosting a youth event at the time of the shooting.  

Around 8 p.m. that night, the police issued a report that everyone located in Lewiston was to stay inside due to Robert Card’s location being unknown. 

Months before the mass shooting Robert Card was said to be having a decline in his mental health. He reportedly had signs of depression and had paranormal thoughts about murder and the idea of people being hurt. 

The police knew this though; it had been reported that his ex-wife had let the deputy know of his decline and mental health and his thoughts, she also even explained his having multiple firearms. They did do some further check up on Robert Card but soon left the issue alone explaining that they would do it “shortly”.  He also had a criminal history with him being arrested in the past for domestic violence.

A lot of people blame the deputy for not taking the signs seriously, which I agree with. I think we see this as a recurring case in recent times where people don’t take people’s mental health seriously and it results in terrible endings. 

After the shooting, Robert Card fled the scene causing the police to warn people living in Maine and states surrounding it to be careful of the potential of him being near the area. Most people were locked in their houses for more than 24 hours due to police not being able to track their recent whereabouts. 

Forty-Nine fours later police deemed Robert Card dead around seven pm on Thursday. He was found along the Androscoggin River by the Lisbon Falls area, ten miles away from the original crime scene. His body was in an unlocked box truck in a nearby recycling center where he had shot himself.

It was a relief that he was no longer a threat to the citizens of Maine but it could have ended differently if the signs were taken seriously and if they did something about it instead of saying they would talk in the future.