LEWISTON, Maine – An Army reservist responsible for the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s history revealed disturbing details to state police in New York before being hospitalized last summer. The 40-year-old reservist, Robert Card, had confided to troopers that his fellow soldiers were expressing concern over his behavior, fearing that he was capable of causing harm.
The release of the police body cam video, recorded on July 16, provided a chilling insight into the gunman’s state of mind. The footage showed him involved in an altercation before locking himself in his motel room, causing alarm among his fellow reservists from Maine. In the video, he appeared visibly thinner than usual, further raising concern about his deteriorating mental health.
Further details emerged from a review of the gunman’s cellphone, revealing a note he had written just three days before the tragic shooting in Lewiston on October 25. In the note, he expressed that he had “had enough” and warned that he was “trained to hurt people.”
Prior to the shooting, family members had warned authorities about the shooter’s growing paranoia and expressed concerns about his access to firearms. In August, the Army had barred him from handling weapons on duty and declared him nondeployable due to mental health concerns.
The warning signs had also extended to New York, where the reservist’s unit was training. In September, a fellow reservist had alerted an Army superior, expressing a fear that the shooter was on the verge of “snapping and carrying out a mass shooting.”
Despite these red flags, the Army did not immediately revoke the shooter’s access to firearms, and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff revealed that he was never contacted by the Army or New York State Police at that time. The lack of intervention allowed the tragic events to unfold, leading to the loss of 18 lives and injuring 13 others at a bowling alley and bar in Maine.
The shooter’s revelations to the New York State Police and the documented warning signs underscore the critical importance of proactive measures to address mental health concerns, especially in individuals with access to firearms. In the aftermath of this devastating tragedy, authorities are faced with the sobering task of reevaluating protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.