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Robert Card might have been targeting his ex-girlfriend when he chose two specific locations in Maine to go on his alleged mass murder spree.

The U.S. Army Reservist used to hang out with his former lover at the bowling alley and bar and grill in Lewiston, where he unleashed his brutal attacks with an AR-style rifle, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others.

Law enforcement told ABC News  ... Card's sister believes the shootings were triggered by a "domestic dispute," which police are now exploring as a possible motive. Card's family has reportedly been cooperating with investigators.

According to court docs ... Card was once married, but got divorced in 2007, and his ex-wife cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason. The divorce order included shared custody of their son, who was then a minor and primarily living with his mother.

Before his alleged killing rampage, Card wrote a note and addressed it to his son, leaving it behind at his Bowdoin home, ABC said. Investigators later found the rambling "suicide note," containing personal information and bank account details.

Card also reportedly "interacted with conspiratorial content" online, exploring a slew of topics such as COVID-19, LGBTQ+ issues, gun rights and political commentary about President Joe Biden.

After Wednesday night's massacre, Card fled in a white Subaru, which was left abandoned in Lisbon, ME, and recovered by police.

Hundreds of officers have fanned out across the region to try to find Card, who has eluded them so far, with some experts attributing this to his purported skills as an outdoorsman.

The authorities have instructed residents in several towns to shelter in place since Card is considered armed and dangerous with a military background.

In 2002, Card enlisted in the Army Reserve and became a petroleum supply specialist. He was responsible for receiving, storing and shipping petroleum-based products.

A Colorado bear took Jeremy Allen White's role in "The Bear" a bit too literally ... because video shows it goin' berserk on a security guard in the kitchen of an Aspen hotel!

The grisly attack happened Monday night at the St. Regis Aspen Resort -- you can see the male bear making itself at home before being confronted by the on-duty security guard ... swiping at him and taking him to the ground.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the guard went to investigate reports of a bear inside the hotel -- which is currently closed for renovations -- but apparently gave the animal a fright when they met face-to-face in the kitchen.

The victim called 911 and was taken to a nearby hospital to get treatment for the scratches on his back -- and yes, he ended up being alright.

Wildlife officials found the culprit early Tuesday morning but couldn't immediately sedate it due to "public safety" ... but a whole day later, they spotted it in a nearby park and used a tranquilizer gun on it while in a tree.

The CPW says the black bear was humanely euthanized, per its policy ... and was sent to the CPW Wildlife Health Lab in Fort Collins for a full autopsy.

Harry Styles is the latest of Taylor Swift's exes to get shaded in a new vault track ... this according to fans who are convinced he's the "lying traitor" she's singing about.

On "1989 (Taylor's Version)," which dropped Friday, there's a new song -- "Is It Over Now?" -- and Swifties are convinced it's about her brief relationship with the former One Direction star.

Taylor and Harry dated from 2012 to 2013, and the original "1989" album came out in 2014, so the timeline's already telling ... but the lyrics are even a bigger clue, according to fans -- talking about a time her ex "lost control," resulting in "red blood" and "white snow."

Fans have started to connect the dots ... saying Taylor claimed in 2014 she got into a snowmobile accident with an ex. At the time, Harry was spotted with a bandage on his chin.

She sang about the accident in the track "Out of the Woods," also from 2014 -- “Remember when you hit the brakes too soon/Twenty stitches in a hospital room/When you started crying, baby, I did too.”

That's not all ... the new song talks about Taylor wearing a "blue dress on a boat," and a pic from 2013 showed her wearing exactly that while taking a boat ride away from the Virgin Islands, where she was vacationing with Harry.

Britney Spears' lawyer has sent an email to the lawyer repping Jamie Spears, hurling numerous allegations against her dad -- opening the door for settlement negotiations -- but we're told Jamie's lawyer wasn't having it, saying he blew it by waiting way too long.

Two sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Mathew Rosengart's email opened with an acknowledgment Jamie was in poor health and this might be an appropriate time to acknowledge his alleged misdeeds during the conservatorship and pay Britney an unspecified sum so the legal dispute could be put to bed.

One of his claims ... Jamie authorized the illegal surveillance of Britney ... specifically her phone. Here's the problem for Rosengart ... he never filed a lawsuit claiming illegal surveillance and the statute of limitations lapsed more than a year ago. Besides that, we're told Jamie's lawyer responded to Rosengart he was dead wrong about illegal surveillance.

Jamie has made a demand for Britney to pay certain attorneys fees he incurred connected with the conservatorship, but Rosengart says that's a no-go. We've learned Jamie's lawyer actually offered a year ago to withdraw that claim if Rosengart withdrew his claims against Jamie, but Rosengart said no. Now, a year later, Rosengart seems ready to talk settlement, but we're told it didn't go over well with Jamie's team because of all the threats and allegations.

Now the case is set for trial in May, and we're told there is explosive evidence that would not be favorable to Britney. Beyond that, some of the biggest claims Rosengart has made will never go to court because the statute of limitations has run, and the conservatorship judge approved some of the expenditures Rosengart is contesting.

Sounds like an uphill climb.

The numbers don't lie, men want their SKIMS, and it was proven on launch day ... raking in millions of dollars per minute for Kim Kardashian's latest venture.

The SKIMS MENS line -- featuring underwear and basics -- dropped Thursday with a flurry of support. Sources with direct knowledge tell us it was the biggest day of sales for SKIMS since the day the brand launched.

What's more, we're told the MENS drop broke SKIMS website traffic records, pulling in 25,000 orders within the first 5 minutes of open, translating to millions of dollars in sales in minutes.

The launch numbers are insane ... but remember, the campaign to announce the line also got a TON of attention thanks to steamy and shirtless pics from Nick Bosa, Neymar and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As we reported ... Nick Bosa started to trend on Twitter immediately after the photos dropped -- hitting #5 overall -- and SKIMS also trended at the #2 spot.

Kim's got the golden touch.

Chris Brown beat the hell out of a man at a London nightclub, and his injuries were so bad he ended up in a hospital ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The singer is being sued by a man named Abe Diaw, who claims Chris smashed him over the head with a bottle of Don Julio 1942 tequila back in February at TAPE nightclub in England.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Diaw claims Chris wielded the tequila bottle like a weapon as he pummeled Diaw over the head with "crushing blows."

The guy claims he was knocked unconscious but says that didn't stop Chris from continuing the attack ... he says CB ruthlessly stomped on him as he lay passed out on the club floor.

In the docs, Diaw claims he had to be hospitalized as a result of his alleged injuries ... which he says include cuts on his head and torn ligaments in his leg.

Chris' accuser says there's surveillance footage of the whole thing ... and he says cops in London have the alleged beatdown video. Diaw claims he can identify Chris in the footage and claims CB is a fugitive in the United Kingdom as a result of the alleged incident.

And, get this ... Diaw claims he's known Chris for at least seven years and thought Chris was coming up to hug him at the club when Brown instead allegedly struck him three times with the tequila bottle.

Diaw says his injuries may be permanent and he's suffering serious emotional distress and trauma. He's suing Chris for damages.

Some NFL fans think Taylor Swift-mania made it all the way to Buffalo on Thursday night ... convinced quarterback Josh Allen used an audible featuring the pop star's name during the Bills vs. Bucs game.

The moment happened just minutes into the first quarter of the big "Thursday Night Football" contest at Orchard Park ... when Allen appeared to try to change a play at the line of scrimmage.

He pulled away from his center and screamed out a name repeatedly. Some heard "Taylor Swift!" -- and went crazy over it ... considering the recent impact she's had on the league thanks to her budding romance with Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

But, others aren't as convinced he actually uttered the "Love Story" singer's name ... instead, they think the signal caller screamed out, "J.R. Smith!"

The folks over at Amazon Prime Video certainly believe it was Swift ... they tweeted out a video of the call with the caption, "'TAYLOR SWIFT, TAYLOR SWIFT.' Josh Allen with a swift audible."

Allen used several more interesting audible calls throughout the night -- at points screaming out "LeBron James," "Jamal Adams" and "Bobby Wagner."

Kylie Jenner is earning some serious kudos from PETA for her decision to make her new clothing line animal-friendly.

The billionaire makeup mogul is now dipping into the clothing biz, and the first drop from her company, Khy, includes a trench coat and some skintight dresses made with faux leather.

The folks over at PETA tell TMZ ... they're thrilled Kylie's going with vegan leather because it "spares vulnerable cows the slaughterhouse knife and shows that kruelty-free fashion is truly the way of the future."

Kylie keeps piling up brownie points with the animal rights crowd ... as we first reported, PETA also applauded her faux lion dress from Paris Fashion Week as a statement against trophy hunting.

With Kylie looking like she's going all-in on faux animal products, PETA's excited for the future because she holds so much influence, especially when it comes to fashion.

Folks in Maine are rushing to stock up on guns to protect themselves in the wake of a mass shooting with a suspect who remains on the loose.

Gun and ammo stores near Lewiston, Maine are seeing a huge surge in folks trying to buy firearms and bullets, with the majority of people coming in to buy handguns.

First Due Firearms tells TMZ ... the phone is ringing off the hook with lots of first-time gun buyers and others looking to add to their firearm collection, with many folks ready to purchase and put money down.

The store says buyers are citing Wednesday's mass shooting, which killed 18 people, as the reason for purchasing guns and ammo.

Over at G3 Firearms, we're told the store's been packed since it opened bright and early at 9 AM ... with people wanting guns for protection. Most of the sales were for handguns, but we're told a few folks bought AR-15s and some even asked for body armor.

Meanwhile, at 3 Cousins Firearms we're told the business is being swamped with calls, emails and Facebook messages from people wanting guns ... and they expect to be super busy the rest of the week.

At another gun store in the area, we're told there was a 50% increase in firearms and while interest was largely for handguns, we're told a couple rifles were sold too.

With multiple counties in Maine in lockdown amid the manhunt for alleged gunman Robert Card, it sounds like people are arming themselves and bracing for the worst.

While some stars go risqué for Halloween -- perhaps a big night out on the town in a sexy costume -- some famous folks take a more kid-friendly approach and keep it to the classic dress-up and trick-or-treating around the block 🎃!

Just last year, Shawn Johnson East, Tom Brady, Tamera Mowry and more celebs put their heads together and absolutely nailed their costume choices ... executing top-notch looks!

"How I Met Your Mother" actor Neil Patrick Harris cooked up some stellar fast-food icons with his husband David Burkta and their 2 kiddos ... reppin' McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and KFC.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Scheana Shay and her posse showed off their "scary feet" -- cutely posing on the staircase -- dressed up as James, Mike And Boo from "Monster's Inc."

A high school basketball game turned into a violent brawl over the weekend ... when a referee straight-up punched a coach following a verbal altercation -- resulting in his arrest.

TMZ Sports is told ... the incident went down during a fall league contest between Arlington and Oak Hills at Santiago High School in Corona, California on Saturday, Oct. 21.

At some point in the second half, witnesses claim Oak Hills head coach Rob Alexander got upset with referee Brandon Knapper over his officiating ... and an argument ensued.

In a clip we obtained of the game, 26-year-old Knapper -- a former college basketball player at West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Cal State San Bernardino -- can be seen approaching Alexander near Oak Hills' bench and briefly talking to him ... before unleashing his fist on the coach's face.

Knapper appeared to land more punches on Alexander as he fell to the court ... before players and others in attendance got involved.

We're told cops responded to the scene ... and Alexander was taken to the hospital. The game did not continue.

Law enforcement tells us Alexander requested prosecution against Knapper, who turned himself in and was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury -- both felonies.

Knapper was booked in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department jail on Sunday ... and his bail was set at $25,000. He was released on Wednesday.

Oak Hills' Hesperia Unified School District released a statement to TMZ Sports ... condemning Knapper's "senseless and shameful" actions.

"The District is thankful for the swift and decisive action taken by the event promoters and local law enforcement. We are also happy to report that Coach Alexander is in good spirits and looking forward to returning to coaching and teaching as soon as possible."

"We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement, CIF, and Oak Hills High School, with the support of the District, will investigate the incident thoroughly and handle it appropriately."

Before this cute trick-or-treater was up on the big screen, she was just getting all dolled up as the '80s show icon Punky Brewster, modeling as a youngin' and growing up with her three siblings in New Canaan, Connecticut.

If you don't recall her playing Izzie Stevens on "Grey's Anatomy" ... she also switched in and out of 27 dresses in a popular movie back in 2008. She may have brown hair in this adorable pic, but she's most known for her blonde 'do now!

Need one more clue? She's an avid dog lover!

6:43 PM PT -- Reports say several of the agents and officers outside the home have left as it now appears Card is not inside the home. ABC News reports the strategy taken by law enforcement is standard procedure in executing a search warrant.

Cops believe they're zeroing in on the man suspected of going on the shooting rampage in Maine ... because his home is surrounded by law enforcement vehicles, drones and helicopters.

The wild and tense scene is playing out at the Bowdoin, ME residence of alleged gunman Robert Card, and cops believe they've seen some movement in a window of the home. Police are shouting commands out over a loudspeaker, telling Card -- or whoever's inside -- to come out and surrender.

At this point, cops aren't confirming there's definitely someone in there, but they're taking every precaution.

The huge police presence includes armored vehicles and drones in the air. It seems pretty clear, they have no intent of sending officers into Card's last known residence, and will instead try to encourage any individuals inside to come out with their hands up.

As we reported ... Card was captured on surveillance cameras during Wednesday night's massacre -- when he opened fire inside a bowling alley and then a bar, killing 18 people.

Card got away, and a huge manhunt ensued all day ... forcing authorities to instruct residents in several towns to shelter in place.

Meanwhile, folks have been buying up guns left and right ... and Pete Davidson and John Mulaney have postponed their upcoming weekend comedy gigs in Maine.

Card has a military background -- he enlisted over 20 years ago in the Army Reserve -- so, law enforcement's taking a slow and careful approach outside his house.

Story developing ...

Bella Hadid is speaking out for the first time on the ongoing attacks in the Middle East ... saying the last 2 weeks have been nothing short of a horror show, condemning terrorism across the board.

The model, who is part Palestinian, spoke her mind Thursday, first by writing, "Forgive me for my silence" ... before admitting it's been tough to find the words for the "deeply intricate and horrific past 2 weeks."

She says the death and destruction happening in Israel and Palestine shifted the world's focus "back towards a situation that has been taking innocent lives and affecting families for decades" -- adding, "The people and children of Palestine, especially in Gaza, cannot afford our silence."

Bella says her "heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma" she's already seen online ... adding she's mourning alongside the families that are forever broken after seeing the aftermath of the Gaza airstrikes.

While she's mostly speaking in favor of Palestine, she adds, "I mourn for the Israeli families that have been dealing with the pain and aftermath of October 7," when Hamas terrorists first attacked Israel .... writing, "I condemn the terrorist attacks on any civilians, anywhere."

She also confirmed what sources told us last week -- she's gotten hundreds of death threats, and even had her own phone number leaked. Remember ... her sister, Gigi, also spoke out, and was met with disdain over her pro-Palestinian stance.

Gigi came under fire directly by the State of Israel's social media account for her comments, too.

Michael Blackson can't wait to get into the ring after inking a deal with Celebrity Boxing ... and, naturally, he's got his eyes on a bout with fellow comedian Kevin Hart.

The actor and comedian just signed his contract with CB founder Damon Feldman, and they're both pumped, and Michael's trash talking is already on point ... as he's calling out other celebs.

Clearly, he wants a piece of Kevin, first and foremost -- they've had beef in the past, which they ultimately squashed a couple years ago, but it sounds like MB may be reversing course.

Other celebs on Michael's radar include DC Young Fly, DeRay Davis and Katt Williams ... and he's got some choice words for all three.

You know Michael's going to promote the hell out of his eventual fight ... and he's already getting his Don King on.

Mauricio Umansky and his "Dancing with the Stars" dance partner Emma Slater are lookin' to clear the air about the pic of them holding hands ... claiming folks are blowing it out way of proportion.

The 2 talked about the viral photo on social media Thursday, taking a break from dance rehearsals to comment ... saying they grabbed some sushi after rehearsal -- following an "emotional week" -- and they were chatting outside after when he grabbed Emma's hand.

He says from there, they headed to the car -- as we reported, their hands were still locked -- but that's about it.

Emma even joked about how some think the brief interaction means they're full-on dating.

Remember, sources with direct knowledge told us much of what MU and ES are tellin' their followers ... but it was a story Kyle Richards certainly wasn't buying.

We were told the pictures of Mauricio and Emma were really disrespectful to the 'Real Housewives' star ... and she gave her reasons for not believing their backstory on Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live."

We covered the drama on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.