Maine shooting: Suspect found dead after manhunt — reports

Lewiston: The gunman who killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, has been found dead, after nearly two days of search operations, according to US media reports.

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 scrutinised 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.

36th mass shooting this year
The shooting marked the country’s 36th mass killing this year, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press news agency along with others.

So far this year, the US has witnessed the second-highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year. Only 2019 had more mass killings, according to the database.

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.