MAINE TRAGEDY: Family’s Cries Ignored Over Gunman’s Mental State Before Deadly Rampage
— In the months leading up to Maine’s most fatal mass shooting, the family of the gunman, Robert Card, voiced their worries about his declining mental health and his access to firearms. The Sagadohoc County Sheriff’s Office was informed and reached out to Card’s Army Reserve unit. Despite promises that Card would receive medical help, the lethal incident still transpired.
Card’s mental instability became apparent earlier this year before the sheriff’s office was alerted in May. This set off a series of encounters with law enforcement before he launched an attack at a Lewiston bowling alley and bar last Wednesday. The violent spree resulted in 18 fatalities and 13 injuries.
After allegations against soldiers and self-seclusion during training in New York, Card underwent a mental health assessment last summer. Information released after last week’s assault revealed that he had been admitted to a psychiatric facility due to auditory hallucinations and threats against a military base.
Despite numerous red flags and attempts at intervention, efforts to stop the massacre were unsuccessful. In September, when another soldier expressed concern that Card might initiate a mass shooting due to hearing voices again, deputies visited his residence but failed to find him. A statewide alert was issued describing him as “armed and dangerous”, but it came too late.