Examination reveals insufficient actions by authorities leading to fatalities of 18 individuals in Maine.
On October 25, 2023, in the small town of Lewiston, Maine, 40-year-old U.S. Army reservist Robert Card unleashed chaos at a bowling alley and a nearby bar, claiming the lives of 18 innocent souls and leaving 13 others wounded. This incident marked the most deadly shooting in Maine's history. A comprehensive 215-page report, authored by Wathen and six other specialists, has recently been made public.
The local law enforcement and Card's reserve unit unfortunately overlooked several chances to disarm this mentally unstable individual. The Sheriff of Sagadahoc County even had enough proof to apprehend Card.
As far back as May 2023, concerns about Card's deteriorating mental well-being had been voiced by his family. He had even been hospitalized in a psychiatric institute for two weeks in July 2023. Regrettably, Card's military superior officers failed to implement the necessary measures to mitigate the risk he posed to the general public.
Despite being aware of Card's "recurring auditory hallucinations, escalating aggressive behavior, extensive firearm collection, and chilling declarations about his plans," they chose to disregard the advice of his military psychiatric advisors to continue treatment and remove weapons from his residence. They also neglected to inform the relevant law enforcement authorities about their findings.
Following the tragic incident, three of Card's army superiors were reprimanded for neglecting their duty by failing to convey their understanding of the potential shooter to higher-ranking military officials.
The Army superiors' negligence to heed the psychiatric advisors' recommendation to remove Card's firearms and inform law enforcement could have prevented the firearms attack. The tragic firearms attack at the bowling alley and bar could have potentially been avoided if proper measures were taken to disarm the mentally unstable Card.
