Wednesday, October 25, 2023, disaster struck in Lewiston, Maine. Two local gathering places, the town bowling alley and Schemengees Bar and Grille, were attacked just after 7 p.m., leaving 18 dead and 13 injured. Unfortunately, this makes Lewiston the 36th mass shooting in the United States since the beginning of 2023.

Lewiston has been in a panic. In order to prevent the loss of more lives, the town’s businesses only just opened back up October 31, 2023, following the discovery of the body of 40-year-old Robert Card. 

Card was the main suspect in the case. A military reservist, Card has a history of mental health issues. Since the beginning of the year, his mental health has been on a decline. The family alerted police and other legal authorities in Maine May 3 of this year. After alerting the police, Card’s mental health further declined. During summer, Card underwent a mental health evaluation after he began acting unusual during training. Card had been sent to a mental health facility after he reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” different military bases. 

According to his family, their concern for his well-being made them hesitant about his access to firearms. Since January, Card had become more and more paranoid, going as far as taking guns out of his brother’s storage unit. Police were urged to exercise caution when asked to do a wellness check in September. 

Friday, October 27, only two days after the shootings, police found Card’s dead body by a river in Lisbon. Authorities reported that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

With the suspected killer no longer a threat, life in Lewiston has begun to open back up. President Joe Biden even made an appearance to speak with those affected. Several GoFundMes have been started to further help those injured. 

While nothing can take away the pain these horrors have caused the town, the community leans on each other and looks forward to the start of their healing process.