Authorities in New Brunswick and Canadian border officials actively monitored the ongoing manhunt in Maine as they searched for a suspect believed to be involved in a mass shooting.
A significant number of police officers were deployed throughout Maine in response to the incidents that occurred at a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston on Wednesday evening. The tragic incident occurred in Lewiston, resulting in the loss of at least 18 lives and leaving 13 individuals injured. The authorities identified the suspect as a 40-year-old man named Robert Card. To aid the investigation, photographs of the suspect were released, capturing him at the scene of the crime while holding a semi-automatic rifle.
Lewiston is located roughly three and a half hours away from the borders of St. Stephen or Woodstock in New Brunswick. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) were actively engaged in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from both Canada and the United States, aiming to protect the safety of Canadians and to prevent any potential threats or unauthorized entries at the border.
The senior spokesperson of CBSA, Jacqueline Roby, mentioned that the agency issued an alert called “Armed & Dangerous – Firearms lookout” to inform border officers about the heightened risk situation. It was also noteworthy that all 18 official entry points between Maine and New Brunswick, along with the six entry points with Quebec, continued to operate without closure on Thursday. New Brunswick RCMP also engaged in monitoring the situation in Maine in close collaboration with various law enforcement partners. The President of the New Brunswick Association of Chiefs of Police, Chief Gary, highlighted the importance of collective efforts and the need for ongoing surveillance and exchange of relevant information in readiness for any potential developments within the province.
However, The body of the suspect, Robert Card, was said to have been later discovered near a river near Lewiston, exhibiting a self-inflicted gunshot wound. During a Saturday morning news conference, Maine Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck unveiled the information about the finding of Card’s body inside a box trailer located in an overflow parking lot of Maine Recycling Corporation in Lisbon.
People gather Sunday at a vigil for the victims of the mass shootings in
Firearms were found alongside the deceased body of Robert Card, who was also wearing the same sweatshirt depicted in the surveillance footage of the shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday night indicating that he did not change his clothes. However, the precise timing of his self-inflicted gunshot wound, as stated by Maine Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck, remains unidentified.
The Premier of New Brunswick, Blaine Higgs, conveyed his condolences and described the shooting as a ‘horrific event.’ Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his thoughts and support for the state of Maine. He emphasized the federal government’s commitment to collaborating with border services and police to enhance protections for Canadians in the aftermath of this terrible incident.
