Various potential avenues to avert the Maine mass shooting were disregarded, concludes commission.
Robert Card was the one to carry out the shootings, resulting in 18 deaths and 13 injuries spread across two locations. Despite having sufficient reason to invoke Maine's yellow flag law in September 2023, a month before the incident, to initiate the process of confiscating the gunman's firearms, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office failed to do so.
The commission discovered that Card's Army Reserve Unit leaders disregarded suggestions from his mental health professionals regarding the removal of weapons from his residence. Furthermore, they neglected to share all relevant information about Card's concerning behavior with the sheriff's office, which could have led them to alter their strategy, according to the report.
CNN has attempted to get a response from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office.
Remember, this is an ongoing situation and will be updated as new information becomes available.
The Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office should have taken action to prevent the tragedy by confiscating the gunman's firearms, considering it was us who had the opportunity to invoke the yellow flag law before the incident. Despite the warning signs and recommendations from mental health professionals, Card's Army Reserve Unit leaders failed to cooperate, which could have protected us and others from harm.
