Commission Concludes Law Enforcement Should Have Taken Gunman into Custody Before Mass Shooting in Maine
A commission investigating the tragic mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, has released its interim report, revealing that local law enforcement officers missed crucial opportunities to prevent the devastating event that claimed the lives of 18 people on Oct. 25.
The Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston found that the local sheriff’s department had “sufficient probable cause” to take the gunman, Robert R. Card II, into custody and seize his weapons due to a “likelihood of serious harm.” Instead, the decision was made to have the shooter’s family remove his weapons, which the commission deemed as “an abdication of law enforcement’s responsibility.”
The commission’s report highlighted several instances where intervention could have altered the course of events leading up to the shooting. Concerned Army Reserve colleagues and supervisors had sent Mr. Card for a mental health evaluation, but subsequent attempts to check on his mental health and remove his weapons were unsuccessful.
The report also faulted the sheriff’s department for not pursuing criminal assault charges against Mr. Card after reports of erratic behavior and threats from friends and colleagues. The department failed to assign another deputy to follow up on concerns after the initial welfare check.
Survivors of the massacre provided emotional testimony before the commission, detailing the lasting impact of the shooting on their lives. In response to the tragedy, legislators are considering changes to Maine’s gun laws, including background checks for private gun sales and a waiting period for firearms purchases.
One proposal would update the state’s “yellow flag” law to allow law enforcement officers to take dangerous individuals into custody with a protective custody warrant signed by a judge. The current law requires agreement from the police, a mental health clinician, and a judge before firearms can be removed.
The commission plans to hold additional hearings before issuing its final report, which will include testimony about trauma to Mr. Card’s brain documented in a recent autopsy report. The report revealed significant damage to the white matter in Mr. Card’s brain, similar to that seen in veterans exposed to repeated blasts.
Family members of the victims expressed gratitude for the commission’s work, with one father, Leroy Walker, acknowledging that the findings confirmed what many in the community had suspected. “I’m glad they’ve taken the time to do it because, as I understand it, it’s the same thing all of us have felt in our hearts here in the city,” Walker said.
The commission’s findings shed light on the missed opportunities and failures in communication and follow-up that could have prevented the tragic loss of life in Lewiston. As the community continues to heal, the hope is that lessons learned from this investigation will lead to meaningful changes to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
