"Robert Card is dead," Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced Friday night, bringing to an end a tense 48-hour period for residents of the state.
The governor confirmed what had been confirmed about an hour earlier -- that the man believed to be responsible for the deaths of 18 people had been found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was reportedly found at 7:45 p.m. along the Androscoggin River at an undisclosed location in Lisbon Falls, about 10 miles from where Wednesday's shootings occurred.
"Police have located the body of Robert Card in Lisbon," Mills said at a 10 p.m. press conference at Lewiston City Hall, in the city where she and her family once lived. "I've called President Biden to inform him," she said, along with members of the state's legislative delegation.
She praised the hundreds of law enforcement officers who assisted in the tense, two-day search, expressing her "profound gratitude for their unwavering bravey and determination and fortitude."
"Like many people, I'm breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card is no longer a threat to anyone. I know there are many people who share that sentiment, but I also know that his death may not bring solace to many. Now is a time to heal. And with this search concluded, I know that law enforcement continues to fully investigate all the facts so we can bring what closure we can to the victims and their families."
Mills asked all Mainers to keep all of the families and others impacted by the shootings in their thoughts and prayers.
"Lewiston is a special place. Lewiston is a great place. It's a close-knit community, people with a long history, a history of hard work, of persistence, of faith, of opening its big heart to everyone," she said.
"Tonight, the city of Lewiston and the state of Maine begin to move forward on what will be a long and difficult road to healing. But we will heal together. Robert Card is dead."
Few details about the discovery of the shooter's body were released at Friday's press conference. Officials said they will have more to say at a press conference at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning.
