The two-pronged search for the murder suspect in this week's massacre in Lewiston, Maine, continued by land, water and air on Friday, as law enforcement looks for Robert Card — whether he's dead or alive.
Card, 40, is suspected of gunning down at least 18 people at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston on Wednesday. Lockdowns for the local county, Androscoggin, and part of neighboring Sagadahoc County, were lifted as of Friday afternoon, though a ban on hunting remained in place for Lewiston, Lisbon, Bowdoin and Monmouth.
"There are going to be communities that hear gunshots from time to time because there's going to be hunting," Maine Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck said at a news conference Friday evening.
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The massive dragnet for Card involved two sets of teams: investigators, who were both combing for evidence at the crime scenes and the boat launch in Lisbon, Maine, where Card's vehicle was found, as well as an apprehension team looking to try and catch him alive.
One of the possibilities investigators are considering is whether Card's body is in the Androscoggin River, Sauschuck said at an earlier news conference. Divers, aircraft and officers on foot would be scouring the river Friday.
"We have a lot of irons in the fire," Sauschuck said, adding, "I'm not saying we know that the suspect is in the water."
More on the Lewiston, Maine, mass shootings
Investigators have received more than 530 tips and leads, and they've set up an FBI tip line for more: fbi.gov/lewistontips. Sauschuck also confirmed that a note was found at Card's home in Bowdoin, as NBC New York reported Thursday, but didn't share information about what was in the note, citing the ongoing investigation.
Avoiding questions on whether there were warnings that should have triggered Maine's "yellow flag" law — Sauschuck said there would be time to engage in that issue — he shared confidence that Card would eventually be caught.
"There is no question in my mind that we're going to bring this individual into custody one way or the other," he said.
President Joe Biden received a briefing on the shooting Friday from FBI Director Christopher Wray and other top staff, according to the White House.
Part of the manhunt was on full display Thursday night, when police surrounded Card's home in Bowdoin. They issued commands over the loud speaker — but officials later clarified that they were standard announcements in a large-scale search.
Police said it was unknown whether Card, who's an Army reservist and firearms instructor, was even at that location or if they were simply just doing their due diligence to find him. Sauschuck said Friday to expect more such announcements until Card is found.
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The search started about 7 p.m. Wednesday, when the Auburn Communication Center was notified that there was a man walking into Just-In-Time Recreation — a bowling alley on Mollison Street — and began shooting. Seven people were shot, including one female and six males.
Shortly after, at about 7:08 p.m., police said a man came into Schemengees Bar and Grille restaurant on Lincoln Street and began shooting. Eight people were shot — seven males inside and one outside.
An hour later, law enforcement released a picture of the shooter and later identified the suspect as 40-year-old Card from Bowdoin. There is currently an arrest warrant issued for him with eight counts of murder.
The vehicle of interest was found at about 11:30 p.m., roughly eight miles from Lewiston in Lisbon. Police described the car as a small white SUV with a front bumper that was painted black.
Altogether, 18 were killed and another 13 were injured.
NBC10 Boston spoke with a woman, who was a longtime Auburn, Me., resident but moved to Florida when her children grew up. She said she was at home watching television when her show was interrupted by the horrific news.
Photos: Lewiston, Maine, shooting leaves more than a dozen dead
It turned out, her two daughters were in the bowling alley when the gunman unleashed a barrage of bullets, killing seven people. One of her daughters made it out alive — but the other, Tricia Asselin, did not.
People in Bowdoin, Lisbon and Lewiston had been asked to shelter in place. That order was lifted Friday evening.
There are more than 350 police officers searching for Card.
In Massachusetts, the Boston Bruins paid tribute to the victims of the mass shootings during their game against the Anaheim Ducks at TD Garden Thursday night.
Head coach Jim Montgomery and goalie Jeremy Swayman played for the University of Maine.
Swayman hung a commemorative jersey behind Boston's bench. It reads, "Lewiston Strong" across the back, along with the number 207, representing Maine's area code.
Players for both the Bruins and the Ducks taped their sticks blue and signed them. Those are being auctioned off to support the victims families. The Boston Bruins Foundation announced it will pledge a minimum of $100,000 to the cause.
Meanwhile, the Celtics posted a statement on social media, saying, "Our hearts ache as we reckon with the devastating shootings in Lewiston. We mourn with everyone in our Maine family experiencing the agonizing loss of this tragedy."
"I personally spent four wonderful years at the University of Maine and I know how great the culture is in that state and I know how great the people are. My heart-felt sympathies to everybody that's impacted," said Montgomery.
"I spent time in Portland, Maine, some 37-miles from where it's at and when you see people go through difficult situations that they didn’t ask for, it's really painful," Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Thursday.
