- The Lewiston shooting commission heard testimony Thursday from the family of the Army reservist responsible for the shooting.
- James Harling, brother-in-law of reservist Robert Card, detailed how his family struggled to get help for Robert Card as his mental health deteriorated.
- Congress passed new gun regulations in response to the shootings, including amendments to the state’s “yellow flag” law.
The brother-in-law of the Army reservist responsible for killing 18 people in Maine tearfully apologized Thursday for the attack, saying his family’s efforts to help him were repeatedly frustrated.
An independent commission to investigate the Lewiston shooting has been formed with James Harling, hearing public testimony for the first time from the family of gunman Robert Card. He said his family struggled for months to get help for his brother-in-law as Card’s mental health deteriorated.
“Our family will never forget your name,” Harling said, adding that photos of the victims are posted on the walls of her family home.
Maine authorities thought a confrontation with Robert Card in the weeks before the shooting would worsen the situation: video
An Army reservist with mental health issues opened fire with an assault rifle inside a bowling alley and bar and grill in Lewiston in October, causing the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history. The committee has been meeting for several months and has heard from police, victims and their families, and members of the Army Reserve who served with Card.
James Herling recalls the moment he realized the gunman was his brother-in-law, Robert Card, while testifying before an independent commission investigating the law enforcement response in Augusta, Maine, on May 16, 2024. I paused my testimony as I remembered. Mass shooting incident in Lewiston, Maine. Ms Card’s sister Nicole Harling can be seen crying on her husband’s shoulder. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bucati)
Before Thursday, Card’s family had kept a low profile, except for issuing a statement in March after they released an analysis of Card’s brain tissue that showed evidence of traumatic brain injury. Card, who has been training others to use grenades, said the Army needs to do more to prevent injuries from blasts after its analysis.
“How deeply sorry and heartbroken are we for all the victims, survivors, and their loved ones, and for all those in Maine and beyond who have been affected and traumatized by this tragedy?” I want to start by saying, “We are heartbroken for you and with you.” And it’s hard to put into words how sad we would be if we could undo what happened.” the family said in a statement.
After an extensive search, Card, 40, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In the aftermath, Congress passed new gun regulations in Maine, a state with a long tradition of gun ownership. Among other things, it strengthened the state’s “yellow flag” law, criminalized the transfer of guns to prohibited persons, and expanded funding for mental health care.
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Relatives had warned police that Card had become paranoid and worried about his access to guns. Other reservists have also witnessed his deteriorating mental state, to the point where he was hospitalized for two weeks during training last summer. One reservist, Sean Hodgson, told his superiors on September 15 that he believed he was going to open fire and cause a mass shooting.
The committee was also scheduled to hear from officials from the Army Reserve Mental Health Program on Thursday, but that appearance was postponed. Committee Chairman Daniel Wasen thanked Mr Card’s family for their testimony.
“The spotlight you’re in is not what you wanted,” Wasen said.
The commission released an interim report in March that said law enforcement should have used existing yellow flag laws to seize Card’s gun and take him into protective custody based on those warnings. A full report is expected to be submitted this summer.
Police testified that the family had agreed to remove Card’s gun, but the commission said leaving this to the family was “an abdication of responsibility on the part of law enforcement.”
