State Inquiry Reveals Gaps in Response to Robert Card's Mental Health Crisis
A state investigation revealed that the US Army Reserve and Maine police missed crucial chances to act before reservist Robert Card carried out a mass shooting in 2023 that took eighteen lives. The final report of an independent panel on military and law enforcement responses to Card’s declining mental health points out serious flaws in both areas.
Commission Findings: A Failure to Act
The comprehensive findings of the panel, which runs 215 pages, show that local police and Army personnel knew about Card’s mental health issue in the months preceding the killing. Officials disregarded warnings about the mental health of the 40-year-old or moved to remove his weapons despite this information.
Targeting a bowling alley and a pub in Lewiston, Card—a former hand grenade instructor—performed the worst shooting in Maine’s history on October 25, 2023. Card led authorities on a three-day search following the gunshot until he was discovered dead.
Former Maine chief judge and commission chairman Daniel Wathen considered the lost possibilities: “We will never know if he may still have conducted the mass massacre even if someone had managed to confiscate his weaponry before October 25. But the commission agrees that there were various chances that, if seized, may have diverted the path of these sad events.
Law Enforcement and Military Oversights
Under Maine’s yellow flag statute, the investigation shows that law enforcement could grab Card’s weapons and place him under protective custody weeks before the murders. However, the commission’s conclusions were especially scathing of local Army Reserve unit leaders. Wathen said these officials “failed to exercise their authority over him and undertake necessary steps to reduce the threat he posed to the public.”
The US Army Reserve replied to the results by saying that three officers had administrative action taken against them for Card’s chain of command breakdown. Furthermore, the Army Reserve mentioned the psychological health program and leadership development changes. Army Reserve spokesperson Bryce Dubee said, “We remain greatly saddened by these events and continue to mourn with the people of the state of Maine, the victims, and their families.”
Critical Information Ignored
According to the study, Card’s commanding officer knew months before the shooting about his auditory hallucinations, hostile behaviour, gun collecting, and “ominous comments.” Card’s mental health specialists advised ongoing involvement in his treatment and the disposal of his weapons, but Wathen attacked the Army Reserve for disregarding their advice.
“They disregarded the strong advice from Card’s mental health professionals to remain involved in his treatment and act to clear weapons from his house,” Wathen added.
Furthermore, the Army Reserve could not share vital information on Card’s threatening actions with other pertinent agencies, including the sheriff’s office. The report indicates that several of the commission’s information-seeking requests from the Army still need to be answered.
Delayed Response and Missed Alerts
According to past reports from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Army Res twelve should have notified law enforcement of vital information, which they contend hampered the proper response. Still, the study notes that state officials had enough evidence by September 2023 to remove Card of his weapons without Army help.
The commission’s results offer the most all-encompassing picture of Card’s last months and the events surrounding the shooting. Family members had reported to the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office Card’s displays of wrath, paranoia, and unpredictable behaviour. The family’s worries were unmet after many tried to get in touch with Army Reserve personnel. “I feel he is going to snap and commit a mass massacre,” a buddy of Card, who had been beaten by him, texted unit mates in September 2023.”
