- The commission investigating the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history will hear testimony from state police commanders who led the law enforcement response.
- The testimony, scheduled for Thursday, is intended to provide insight into the attack, its aftermath and the search for the gunman, Robert Card.
- Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate as police searched for cards of Army reservists armed with assault rifles.
The commission investigating the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history will hear from state police commanders who led the multi-agency law enforcement response after 18 people were shot dead at a Lewiston bar and bowling alley. I’m planning to listen to the story.
Thursday’s testimony from State Police Chief Col. William Ross, command staff and specialized team commanders could shed new light on the Oct. 25 attack, its aftermath and the search for the shooter. be.
Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes as police converged on the scene of the shooting and searched for Army reservists armed with assault rifles. The gunman, Robert Card, was quickly identified and his abandoned vehicle was found in a nearby community, but he was not found until 48 hours after the shooting, where he died by suicide.
US Army investigating main shooter who killed 18 people
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey are seeking an independent commission to determine whether anything could have been done under current law to prevent the tragedy and whether changes are needed to prevent future mass shootings. was convened.
On October 30, 2023, a rain-soaked memorial to those killed in a mass shooting stands on the roadside near Ski Menzies Bar & Grill in Lewiston, Maine. The independent commission investigating the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history is scheduled to hear from state police, the main law enforcement agency, on February 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Police and the Army were alerted months before the shooting that Card was suffering from a deteriorating mental state.
In May, relatives alerted police that Card, 40, was becoming paranoid, and police expressed concern that Card had access to a gun. In July, Card was hospitalized for two weeks after he shoved a fellow reservist during training in upstate New York and locked himself in a motel room. In August, the Army banned him from handling weapons on duty and declared him undeployable.
Lewiston, Maine mass shooting investigation committee seeks to obtain gunman’s military history
And in September, a fellow reservist issued a stern warning to a senior Army officer that Card intended to “shoot up and go on a shooting rampage.”
Military authorities later downplayed the warning, but local police were forced to visit Card’s home in Bowdoin to check on him. Card did not come to the door, and his deputy said he did not have legal authority to knock on the door under Maine’s yellow card law.
The aide told the committee that Army officials suggested “de-escalating” the situation rather than forcing a confrontation. Deputies also received assurances from Mr. Card’s family that they would remove Mr. Card’s access to guns.
