A final report by an independent commission on Tuesday, Aug. 20, on the deadliest shooting in Maine’s history shows critical failures by both the Army Reserve and local police that could have prevented the shooting. The investigation found multiple missed opportunities to address Robert Card’s mental health and seize his weapons before he killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 25, 2023.
Maine law enforcement was reportedly authorized to confiscate Card’s weapons under a yellow flag law. Police could have also placed him in protective custody weeks before the shooting. Authorities also knew of Card’s two-week hospitalization for psychiatric reasons and access to weapons a month before the shooting. The New York Police Department also could have taken Card’s weapons under a red flag law, which was previously used on non-residents.
The report said that the Army hospitalized Card during training in May of 2023 but that there were no check-ins after his release to ensure he was taking medication and getting follow-up care. In August of 2023, the Army banned him from handling weapons while on duty and listed him as non-deployable.
In September 2023, a fellow Army reservist reportedly wrote in a text about Card, “I think he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting.” The reservist pleaded with authorities to change the passcode to the gate of the military facility and arm themselves if Card showed up. Still, authorities chose not to confront Card.
A separate investigation by the Army led to three reserve officers being disciplined for dereliction of duty. Card’s unit leaders reportedly ignored recommendations from mental health care providers to remove weapons from Card’s home.
Meanwhile, the 215-page final report reiterated findings released in March and essentially laid out that police and the Army should have followed measures available to them in the months leading up to the shooting.
In the wake of the mass shooting, Maine passed new gun laws, including a three-day waiting period for gun purchases that went into effect in July.
