A man suspected of killing 18 people in a shooting in Maine has been found dead after a three-day manhunt, police say.
Robert Card, 40, was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, Maine Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Sauschuck said.
The news comes hours after police lifted a stay-at-home order for the normally quiet community.
Among the dead are a grandfather, a talented young bowler, and four deaf locals, ranging in age from 14 to 76.
“The suspect in Wednesday night’s shootings has been located and is deceased,” the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
At a news conference at Lewiston City Hall, Maine Governor Janet Mills said the body was found in Lisbon, near where the shooting occurred.
“I’m breathing a sigh of relief tonight knowing that Robert Card will not be a threat to anyone,” she said.
Gov Mills said the discovery of the suspect’s body would set the community on “the long and difficult road to healing”.
Lewiston Police Chief David St Pierre added that he was “elated” by the news, but “our work is not done here”.
“We’re gonna grieve for the families that lost loved ones, were gonna continue to work, we’re gonna persevere and we’re gonna become better people for it,” he continued.
Commissioner Sauschuck said the body was found at 19:45 local time (23:45 GMT) on Friday near a river in Lisbon Falls.
He said many of the details were being withheld because authorities wanted to speak to the victims’ families first.
Another news conference is scheduled for 10:00 (14:00 GMT) on Saturday.
