"A lot going on in his head," Cousin calls Maine shootings suspect Robert Card "schizophrenic"

"A lot going on in his head," Cousin said Maine shootings suspect Robert Card a "schizophrenic"

LEWISTON, Maine - A cousin of Maine mass shootings suspect Robert Card called him a "schizophrenic," as a police manhunt intensified Thursday.

Maine State Police said Card is wanted for the shooting deaths of 18 people at two locations in Lewiston Wednesday night. Thirteen others were wounded.

Read: Timeline of Lewiston, Maine shootings

Card is from Bowdoin, Maine, which is about 25 minutes from Lewiston. He lived with his father in a home in Bowdoin. Relatives told WBZ-TV Card goes by the name "Robbie" because his father Robert has the same name.

The Cards are said to be a well known farming family in the area. The neighborhood is within walking distance of where a car that was linked to Card was found abandoned after the shootings.

Related: Who is Robert Card?

Card's cousin, Michael Mercier, told WBZ-TV Card has "a lot going on in his head." 

"He's got a lot of problems up in his head right now, one of them's a schizophrenic," Mercier said.

Robert Card's cousin, Michael Mercier, talked to WBZ-TV Thursday, October 26, 2023. CBS Boston

According to a spokesperson with the New York Army National Guard, Card "was behaving erratically" back on July 16 while training at the United States Military Academy.

"Out of concern for his safety, the unit requested that law enforcement be contacted. New York State Police responded and transported Card to Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy for medical evaluation," the spokesperson told CBS News Thursday.

Neighbors of the Cards said they had a hard time sleeping Wednesday night as the manhunt began.

Police have not given any indication which direction Card may have gone in or if they believe he's still in Maine.

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