The family of the accused mass shooter in Maine is urging him to surrender to authorities amid the massive manhunt for his whereabouts, according to CNN’s Pamela Brown.
Police identified 40-year-old Robert Card as the person of interest in the mass shooting that left at least 18 dead and 13 injured in Lewiston, Maine, Wednesday night. The Lewiston Police Department is conducting a massive search to locate Card’s whereabouts and take him into custody, and have recommended local residents shelter in place.
Card’s brother, Ryan, told CNN investigative correspondent Pamela Brown the family is assisting law enforcement “in any way possible” during the ongoing search.
“We have been communicating with the brother of Robert Card, and he says the family has actually been texting him, reaching out to him, telling him to surrender. As you know, this manhunt is still ongoing as police try to bring him into custody, and the brother tells me that the family is doing everything they can to help police bring him into custody,” Brown said.
Ryan’s text message to the outlet reads,” [We] have helped law enforcement in anyway [sic] possible…the police have been given anything that we can offer to facilitate there efforts…there are many people hurting out there, please focus on them…this is many people’s worst nightmare.” (RELATED: CNN Interviews Local Maine Man Who Says In ‘Situations Like This, I Wish I Had A Firearm’)
Card’s sister-in-law, Katie O’Neill, told the outlet the incident is “an acute episode” as Card “is not someone who has had mental health issues for his lifetime or anything like that.” Brown described Card as a “firearms enthusiast” who legally purchased several firearms on his property in Maine.
The suspect was reportedly one of the best shooters in his Army Reserve unit and is an “outdoorsman” who can properly handle himself in nature. He was admitted to a mental health facility over the summer after allegedly previously hearing voices, and was later released after two weeks. The terms of the release are currently unknown. He has also threatened to open fire at a National Guard base in Maine, according to CNN.