Maine police defend delay in search for gunman who killed 18 last fall, saying they feared an ambush

By DAVID SHARP and NICK PERRY
Associated Press

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine state police are defending delays in their October search for a gunman who had just killed 18 people, saying that after finding his abandoned car, they feared they could be walking into an ambush. It took police two days to find the body of shooter Robert Card, who died by suicide, while tens of thousands of Maine residents were ordered to shelter in their homes. Police have been criticized for not finding Card sooner. On Thursday, Maj. Lucas Hare told a panel investigating the shooting that he decided to delay a search of the woods around the car because they’d been told that Card, a former Army reservist, might have a thermal scope and night-vision capabilities.