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Lewiston: The man wanted in the mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar that killed 18 people and wounded 13 was found dead Friday, bringing an end to a search that put the entire state of Maine on edge for the last two days.

Robert Card, who was wanted in connection with the shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, was found dead in Lisbon Falls, Maine, Gov Janet Mills said at a Friday night news conference.

Commissioner of Maine Department of Public Safety Mike Sauschuck said Card was found at 7:45 pm near the Androscoggin River of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He declined to provide a specific address.

Police found Card’s body at a recycling facility where he recently worked, a law enforcement official told the AP. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

Card, 40, of Bowdoin, Maine, was a US Army reservist who underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after he began acting erratically during training, a US official told The Associated Press.

Card had been sought since the Wednesday night shootings, and murder warrants were issued against him.

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 this past summer after “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.

A US official said Card was training with the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in West Point, New York, when commanders became concerned about him.

State police took Card to the Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point for evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the information and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity

Authorities had scoured the woods and hundreds of acres of family-owned property, sent dive teams with sonar to the bottom of a river and scrutinized a possible suicide note Friday in the second day of their intensive search for Card.

Authorities lifted their shelter in place order Friday evening, nearly 48 hours after the shootings.

The names and pictures of the 16 males and two females who died were released as State Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck asked for a moment of silence at a news conference. Their ages ranged from 14 to 76.

Law enforcement officials had said they hadn't seen suspect Card since his vehicle was left at a boat ramp Wednesday shortly after the shootings.

Authorities say Card, who had firearms training, opened fire at the bar and a bowling alley Wednesday in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city.

The city held an online vigil Friday night with local clergy members, prayer and music. Residents expressed their shock and pain in chat postings, describing themselves as angry, grieving, tired and heartbroken. Those watching at home were urged to light candles.

One poster, Victoria, wrote: “I lost 2 people that I cared truly about and a close family friend that is currently fighting for his life in ICU. My heart’s shattered.”

Police and other law enforcement officers were spotted in several areas around the region on Friday. Divers searched the water near a boat launch in Lisbon, and a farming business in the same town. At points throughout the day, police vehicles were seen speeding through several towns, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

A gun was found in Card’s car, which was discovered at a boat ramp, and federal agents were testing it to determine if it was used in the shooting, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity. Authorities have said publicly that the shooter used at least one rifle. They have not released any other details, including how the suspect obtained the firearm.

Authorities found a suicide note at a home associated with Card on Thursday that was addressed to his son, the law enforcement officials said. They said it didn’t provide any specific motive for the shooting. Authorities also recovered Card’s cellphone in the home, making a search more complicated because authorities routinely use phones to track suspects, the officials said.

Federal agents conducted several searches of properties associated with Card on Thursday, collecting a number of items, including electronics, the officials said. Investigators are also analyzing Card’s financial information and reviewing his social media posts, writings and his mental health history, they said.

The Cards have lived in Bowdoin for generations, neighbors said, and various members of the family own hundreds of acres in the area. The family owned the local sawmill and years ago donated the land for a local church.

“This is his stomping ground,” Richard Goddard, who lives on the road where a search took place on Thursday, said of the suspect. “He knows every ledge to hide behind, every thicket.”

Family members of Card told federal investigators that he had recently discussed hearing voices and became more focused on the bowling alley and bar, according to the law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. When he was hospitalized in July in New York, Card had told military officials he had been hearing voices and said he wanted to harm other soldiers, the officials said.

Police said Thursday that Card would be charged with 18 counts of murder.

The victims of the shootings include Bob Violette, 76, a retiree who was coaching a youth bowling league and was described as devoted, approachable and kind. Auburn City Councilor Leroy Walker told news outlets that his son, Joe, a manager at the bar and grill, died going after the shooter with a butcher knife. Peyton Brewer-Ross was a dedicated pipefitter at Bath Iron Works whose death leaves a gaping void in the lives of his partner, young daughter and friends, members of his union said.

The manager of the youth bowling league vowed that the league would survive despite the devastating grief members were feeling.

The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf said the shootings killed at least four members of their community, many of whom were ardent advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The attacks stunned a state of only 1.3m people that has one of the country’s lowest homicide rates: 29 killings in all of 2022. Gov Janet Mills said Friday that many Maine residents will know someone who died.

“It is often said that our state is ‘one big, small town’ because Maine is such a close-knit community. As a result, many of us know the victims personally, including me," she said in a statement. “Tonight, I ask Maine people to join me in reading their stories, learning who they were, celebrating them as beloved people, and mourning them as irreplaceable.”

Schools, public buildings and many businesses remained closed Friday. Bates College in Lewiston canceled classes and postponed the inauguration of the school’s first Black president.

The shootings mark the 36th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

AP

Dhorpatan: Baglung’s farmers are facing a concerning issue as their lemon plants, which were in the fruiting stage, are succumbing to a fungal infection. Hundreds of farmers in the area have reported that thousands of lemon plants have withered over the past two months. They fear significant financial losses if the situation is not promptly addressed.

According to Kumar Pun Magar, the information officer at the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Baglung, the lemon plants are falling victim to this fungal infection, which causes the tips of the lemon plant leaves to dry up and die. He suggests that the farmers can save their plants by pruning and discarding the affected areas. Seeking technical advice can help prevent this issue in lemon cultivation.

The fungal infection affects the lemon branches and poses a threat to the farmers’ investments. Farmers are advised to be vigilant and promptly trim the drying branches. The problem has primarily emerged in the Nisikhola area and its surroundings within the district.

Nar Bahadur Budha Magar from Nisikhola has already witnessed 34 out of 60 lemon plants wither. He explains that his ripe lemon fruits started dropping during the harvest, leading to the death of the plants. Even lemon plants planted the previous year are not spared. Having engaged in commercial lemon cultivation for the past two years, Budha Magar anticipates a significant financial setback, estimating a loss of approximately Rs 200,000.

The issue has even spread to lemon trees that have been growing for six to seven years in the area. Initially affecting the older trees, the problem has now extended to younger plants, threatening the investments of farmers.

Purna Bahadur Chhetri, another local farmer, has had 70 out of 90 of his lemon plants affected by the disease. He is taking measures to combat the issue by cutting the dried branches as soon as they show signs of infection. Notably, this problem did not arise last year.

The Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Baglung reports that, out of 45 hectares of land dedicated to lemon cultivation in the district, only 22 hectares are currently yielding produce. The situation remains a cause for concern among the lemon farmers in the region.

Kohalpur: The Banke police have held a person who defrauded people by pretending to be an employee of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), said the district police office, Banke.  The arrestee has been identified as Mohan Koirala of Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan district, currently living in Nepalgunj Sub Metropolitan City-20. 

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Narayan Dangi, spokesperson for the district police office, acting on a tip off, the police arrested Koirala who had been defrauding people for the past some time by pretending to be an employee of the CIAA. He also visited government offices and other organizations and took benefits, he said. A joint team from the Nepalgunj-based contact office of the CIAA, Butwal and the district police office arrested him. Investigations are underway and the police have requested people to lodge a police report, he said. 

Mugu: Four persons of a single family have been found dead at Mandu village of Chhayanath Rara Municipality-6 in Mugu district. They are suspected to have been murdered. However, factors like who murdered them for what reasons have been unknown.

The victims have been identified as Sridevi Bohara, 28, a local resident; her 11-year-old son Manoj; her nine-year-old daughter Apsara; and her eight-month-old son Rahar, as confirmed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Birendra Thapa. Upon receiving this distressing news, a police team promptly arrived at the scene, which is located southeast of Gamgadhi, the district headquarters. The bodies of the deceased have been transported to the district hospital for a postmortem examination.

It has been reported that Sridevi's spouse is currently abroad for employment-related reasons. DSP Thapa has stated that further investigations into the case are currently in progress.

Preliminary police inquiries suggest that on Oct 24, Sridevi, along with her children, had visited her maternal home in the nearby Kotilla village to receive Dashain tika. They returned to their home the following evening. It is believed that they may have been murdered on the same night, according to the police.

On Oct 26, when the neighbors noticed that the main door of Sridevi’s house was locked, they assumed that the family had gone to their farmland to collect vegetables. However, on Oct 27, concerned about their whereabouts, the neighbors contacted Sridevi’s maternal relatives. They were informed that Sridevi had left her maternal home on Oct 25. In response, the neighbors decided to enter her house at around 10 am today, only to discover the lifeless bodies of the four family members.