The former wife and teenage son of Maine mass shooter Robert Card were in hiding amid fears the killer was hunting an ex when he gunned down 18 people – as divorce papers reveal he was ordered to keep guns ‘under lock and key ‘ hold

The wife and son of Maine mass shooter Robert Card were in hiding as the manhunt for the killer continued for more than 48 hours before he was found dead Friday evening of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Cara Lamb, 39, whom Card married in 2005 and divorced two years later, shares an 18-year-old son Colby with the shooter, according to court documents reported by police. New York Post.

The terrified couple were believed to be in hiding while Card remained on the run, amid reports he was looking for an ex when he carried out the shooting that left 18 dead.

Before Card was found dead, the outlet reported that Lamb was not at the listed address, and a neighbor said he had not seen her.

Army Reservist Card, 40, was found dead Friday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound

Police sources added to ABC News that the killer had left a suicide note addressed to his son before the tragedy, although the note reportedly contained no motive.

One motive for the massacre was suggested by Card’s sister, who told investigators she thought he might be looking for an ex when he rampaged through the Sparetime Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar and Grille, police sources told the outlet.

It has not been confirmed whether Card’s sister was referring to Lamb when she made the claim, or to a more recent ex-partner.

Court records show Lamb and Card tied the knot on October 1, 2005, in Brunswick, Maine.

The couple filed for divorce jointly in Sagahoc County court in 2007, citing irreconcilable differences.

In 2013, the divorce agreement was amended to include an ominous requirement, stating that “all weapons in the home of both parties must be locked up during the time they are not in use.”

Maine stands out as a Democratic-led state with particularly loose gun laws, and only in 2021 made it a crime to keep a firearm in a home with a child.

State lawmakers just months before the massacre also rejected three major gun control bills, which would have required criminal background checks for gun purchases; created a 72-hour waiting period before someone could own a gun after purchase; and banned modifications to semi-automatic weapons.

The mass shooting left 18 people dead (photo), with at least 13 others injured

Card’s divorce settlement also saw Card ordered to pay $74 per week in child support, and he described himself as self-employed to the court, representing himself.

In his final message to his son, which was found during the execution of a search warrant at Card’s home in Bowdoin, the gunman reportedly “provided information and instructions to others on where things could be found and disposed of,” law enforcement sources said. CNN.

It’s unclear what specifically Card said to his son, with the outlet adding that the note appeared to be written to be read when “Card would no longer be alive.”

Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck declined to speculate on a possible motive during a news conference Thursday, but said investigators were looking into Card’s history of mental illness.

“I know we’ll revise that information as we move forward, but that’s not an answer we want to give today,” he said at the time.

Card was the subject of a multi-agency manhunt that attracted more than 300 officers and lasted more than 48 hours

Police remove a victim from Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant, one of two locations where the gunman opened fire

The development comes as relatives of Card’s 18 victims spoke Friday evening of their relief after the Army reservist was found dead.

He was discovered around 7:45 p.m. near a recycling plant where he was recently fired and near where his car was found hours after the massacre.

Robert Young, whose brother Bill, 44, and cousin Aaron, 14, were killed in the shooting, said he and his brother had gone to school with the shooter, played on the same baseball team and were relieved at the news of Card’s death. dead.

“It gives us a sense of closure as a family because we don’t have to worry about him hurting anyone else,” he told CNN.

‘And it gives us a kind of sense of justice. He’s gone.’

He said they didn’t want to go through a harrowing trial and possibly see Card, who had a nervous breakdown, spared jail and was confined to a mental institution.

‘We didn’t want to go through a process. We didn’t want to see all the gruesome details,” he continued.

Bill Young (pictured left) and his 14-year-old son Aaron (pictured right) were shot dead at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley

Robert Young, Bill’s brother and Aaron’s uncle, said the family was shocked by the news but relieved by Card’s death.

Tricia Asselin, 53, the second confirmed victim, worked part-time at Just-In-Time Recreation in Lewiston. She was bowling when the gunman entered and opened fire

Asselin was shot while calling 911 to alert emergency services to the mass shooting, her brother said

“And you know, sometimes things are like this: Now that he’s in a mental institution, he might get an insanity plea and not see a day in jail. We just never know how it’s all going to work. For our family, at least, this is the outcome we wanted.”

Young added that people will probably “never understand why,” adding, “I don’t think there’s any reason why you would shoot innocent people, a 14-year-old boy.”

‘My family had no problem with Robbie Card. We really don’t know him.’

Tammy Asselin, who survived the bowling alley shooting but lost her cousin Tricia Asselin, said her feelings were mixed when she learned of Card’s death.

“It’s a relief so that the community itself can definitely move on without the fear of him out there, but it’s also sad because there are so many questions left unanswered,” she told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, holding back tears .

Asselin was separated from her 10-year-old daughter when the shooting began.

The little girl, asked how she felt, just shook her head and refused to say anything.

“I know it gives my daughter some peace to know he’s been caught because it was a fear of hers that he was still out there,” Tammy said.

Card’s body was found Friday evening around 7:45 p.m. near a recycling plant where he was recently fired

Maine Governor Janet Mills said she “breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Card is no longer a threat to anyone.”

At a news conference held after Card’s body was found, Mike Sauschuck, the commander of the Maine Department of Public Safety, would not say whether he had died as police closed in or had been dead for days.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done here on the ground, and a lot of follow-up to be done,” Sauschuck said.

He added that a hunting ban in the area has now been lifted. Saturday marks the start of deer hunting season and is an important date on the Maine calendar.

The White House released a statement saying the past two days have been “tragic” for the entire country.

“This has been a tragic two days – not just for Lewiston, Maine, but for our entire country,” President Joe Biden said in a statement released Friday.

“Once again, an American community and American families have been devastated by gun violence.

“In total, at least eighteen souls have been brutally killed, more injured, some seriously, and dozens of relatives and friends praying and experiencing traumas no one ever wants to imagine.

“Numerous brave law enforcement officers worked around the clock to find this suspect and prevent the loss of more innocent lives – all while risking their own lives. They are the best of us.

“Tonight we are grateful that Lewiston and surrounding communities are safe after excruciating days of sheltering in their homes.

“I thank Governor Janet Mills for her steady leadership during this time of crisis, and continue to charge my administration to provide whatever is needed to support the people of Maine.

“Americans shouldn’t have to live like this. I once again call on Republicans in Congress to fulfill their duty to protect the American people. Until that day, I will continue to do everything in my power to end this epidemic of gun violence.

“The Lewiston community – and all Americans – deserve nothing less.”