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Police affidavit sheds light on why shooting suspect targeted Lewiston businesses

A hazmat team works inside Schemengees Bar & Grille, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. The community is working to heal following shooting deaths of 18 people at the bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston on Wednesday.
Matt York
/
AP
A hazmat team works inside Schemengees Bar & Grille, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. The community is working to heal following shooting deaths of 18 people at the bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston on Wednesday.

Court documents released late Tuesday afternoon by the Maine Attorney General's office offer new details on why the suspect in last week's shootings may have targeted a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston

An affidavit filed by the Maine State Police says that suspect Robert Card believed there was a conspiracy against him and that his family and area businesses were accusing him of being a pedophile. He believed that four area businesses were spreading the accusation online, including Sparetime Recreation and Schemengee's Bar and Grille in Lewiston where he shot and killed 18 people and injured 13. He also believed Gowell's Market in Litchfield and Mixer's Nightclub in Sabattus were complicit.

The affidavit also says Card had been delusional since February after a bad break up. He reportedly had significant weight loss, was hospitalized for mental health issues, and had stopped taking his medication.

According to Card's brother, whose name was redacted in the affidavit, Card had met his former partner at a cornhole competition at Schemengee's.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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