PORTLAND, Maine — The Army reservist responsible for the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history received glowing reviews from his superiors, even as some of his family members increasingly worried about his mental health. Ta.
Documents released in the public record show that during an April 2023 annual evaluation, Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, was described as a “consummate professional” who “excelled as a squad leader” and was a great addition to the unit. Requests where the mentor is shown to be “one of the best.”
Six months later, Card killed 18 people in a mass shooting, then committed suicide.
Personnel files show Card volunteered to become the unit’s suicide prevention officer years ago and received mental health-related training while attending an affiliated school in 2015-2016. is also shown.
The card’s last rating was on the previous date Ex-wife and son call police In May, he claimed that he had been angry and paranoid in the previous months and that his son had wrongly accused him of saying something behind his back.
The files released under the federal Freedom of Information Act did not include disciplinary records, but those records were made without the permission of Card’s family, according to the Portland Press Herald, which first obtained the records. There is no guarantee that the person will be handed over.
Several of Mr. Card’s fellow Army reservists are scheduled to testify next month to an independent commission appointed by the governor investigating the Oct. 25 shooting at a Lewiston bowling alley and bar.
body camera video Police interview with reservists Last summer, before Card was hospitalized for two weeks in upstate New York, fellow reservists were shown expressing concern and alarm about his behavior.One of them was a close friend of Cards, who later issued a severe warning Six weeks before the attack, Card told his superiors that he was “going to open fire and go on a mass shooting spree.”
Mr. Card’s personnel record shows no such concerns, dating back to 2002, when he joined the University of Maine.
Evaluators said at their final review in April that Card, a sergeant first class, had “exceeded standards” in nearly every area of his role as a senior training officer, including instruction in the use of hand grenades. In short, Card is a “consummate professional” with an “approachable and trusting demeanor” and “the ability to train future leaders with great attention to their safety and well-being,” according to the review. ” was shown.
The document does not mention concerns about Card’s mental health. Three months later, Card was locked in a motel room and hospitalized after shoving a fellow reservist while his unit was training near West Point, New York.
Fellow reservists told police who escorted Card for an evaluation that he was paranoid and accused others of talking about him behind his back. . Ms Card said it was natural for them to be concerned. Because I’m capable,” Card told police.
Card shot itself in the foot in the back of a tractor-trailer in the parking lot of his former employer as authorities lead the largest investigation in state history. His body was discovered two days after he took the lives of 18 others. Thirteen other people were injured.
