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The gunman who killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, has been found dead, after nearly two days of search operations, Maine Governor Janet Mills said at a news briefing.
Earlier in the day, officials in the northeastern US state lifted a shelter-in-place order as they executed search warrants on possible hiding locations.
State Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck named all 18 victims of the mass shooting at a news conference earlier too. All of the victims’ families had been notified.
Sauschuck read the names aloud at the conference. Photos of those slain were posted on a board behind him and the reading was followed by a moment of silence.
A spokesperson for the state medical examiner’s office said the victims ranged in age from 14 to 76.
Manhunt was underway nearly two days after shooting rampage
The shooter had remained at large for nearly two days, as authorities, including dozens of FBI agents, scoured the woods and waterways in central and southern Maine.
Law enforcement officials had given no indication as to whether they had any leads on the gunman, named Robert C.
Authorities said they scrutinized a possible suicide note found at the shooter’s home that was addressed to his son. The note didn’t provide any specific motive for the shooting, they added.
Neighbors told investigators that the shooter’s family lived in the area, in a town called Bowdoin, for generations and various members of the family own hundreds of acres in the area.
Biden calls for gun legislation
The US has recorded more than 500 mass shooting incidents in 2023 according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, a non-governmental organization.
US President Joe Biden said the nation was once again “in mourning after yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting.”
He reiterated calls for a renewed assault weapons ban and stricter rules on gun sales measures that need to pass Congress.
Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing the full names of alleged criminals.
rm, rmt/wd (AP, Reuters)
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