The Army Reserve and a Maine sheriff’s department were aware of a reservist’s deteriorating mental health more than five months before he killed 18 people in Lewiston, MaineAccording to to Records released on Monday. The records reveal that he was increasingly paranoid six weeks prior, had punched a buddy and told him he would be going. to Shooting sprees are a good way to go.
The documents do not indicate that law enforcement officials made any contact with Robert R. Card II (40), the reservist who was responsible for the deadliest shooting spree in America last year. Card II’s actions triggered a manhunt lasting two days before his death.
The warnings against Mr. Card were much more explicit Maine In the days that followed the shooting, officials publicly acknowledged what had happened. They came from Mr. Card’s family members — who believed he was hearing voices — and his Army Reserve unit in Saco, Maine, and were investigated by the Sheriff’s Office in Sagadahoc County, where Mr. Card lived.
Mr. Card’s family told a sheriff’s deputy in May that Mr. Card had become angry and paranoid starting early this year. In particular, he had begun to claim — wrongly, the family said — that people were accusing him of being a pedophile.
Chad Carleton, the deputy, reached out to me to Mr. Card’s base in Saco, he learned that people there already had “considerable concern” for Mr. Card’s mental health, according to A report written by the deputy.
Two months later, on July 2, Mr. Card received two weeks of treatment at a New York hospital for psychiatric patients, according to the report. to A later report was made after an incident that occurred at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. He had accused “several other soldiers” He was called a pedophile and a man shoved him, making veiled threats to kill him. “take care” The report stated that there were a number of issues.
In mid-September he made more explicit threats, telling a close friend that he was armed and ready to shoot. “going to shoot up the drill center at Saco and other places,” You may also like to a Sheriff’s Office report from that month.
In response to that episode, the Army Reserve contacted the Sheriff’s Office, which assigned a sergeant, Aaron Skolfield, to Check on Mr. Card’s home in Bowdoin Maine.
Sergeant Skolfield was a to Mr. Card’s home on Sept. 16 and tried to No one has made contact with him. to The sergeant heard someone inside who he believed to be Mr. Card.
The sergeant said in his report that soon after, he spoke with Mr. Card’s commanding officer, Capt. Jeremy Reamy said that he felt it best for Mr. Card to “have time to himself for a bit.” Captain Reamy said that Reserves were also working to get Mr. Card to He declined to retire and received mental health treatment. He declined to Comment on Monday
In a press release, the Army Reserve stated that it has reached out to other military forces. to the Sheriff’s Office regarding Mr. Card “out of an abundance of caution after the unit became concerned for his safety.”
Sergeant Skolfield said he had also contacted Mr. Card’s brother, Ryan Card, who said that he and his father would try to take his brother’s guns away. The sergeant stated that he urged Ryan Card to take his guns away. to contact the sheriff’s department if he felt that his brother needed “an evaluation.” Ryan Card has not responded immediately to Request for comment
Sheriff Joel Merry said that in a press release that he felt his deputies were acting appropriately. However, he also added that the department would be evaluating its procedures on wellness checks.
Sergeant Skolfield declined to Commented over the weekend, when a journalist contacted him via phone.
On Monday morning, Gov. Janet Mills declined to answer questions about law enforcement’s prior interactions with Mr. Card. The state’s public safety commissioner, Michael J. Sauschuck, mentioned only a drunken driving incident in 2007 when asked on Saturday about previous contact with law enforcement.
The record of Mr. Card’s previous run-ins with reservists and warnings to the sheriff’s department are the latest to Ask yourself if more could have been achieved to Preventive measures Maine Shooting or prevent Mr. Card buying guns
Reports do not clearly state whether Mr. Card has been charged to Card was involuntarily admitted to hospital in July. However, had he been incarcerated, he would have been prohibited from possessing guns. One report describes Mr. Card’s Reserve colleagues hearing him complain about the unit commanders having him committed and saying they are “the reason he can’t buy guns anymore.”
Federal officials have stated that Mr. Card purchased some legal guns a few days before the shooting. The F.B.I. According to the F.B.I. to Stop him from buying weapons legally
Despite Mr. Card’s behavior, the Sheriff’s Office did not try to use Maine’s “yellow flag” Law that permits the police to take away people’s guns after having them evaluated by a medical practitioner, and with a judge’s approval.
Card started his rampage in a bowling alley on Wednesday night, killing seven people. He then drove to The shooter then returned to the bar, where he shot people playing cornhole and several friends who were deaf. Eight people were killed at the bar and three others at the hospital.
13 more people were also injured between the two events. Mr. Card was shot in the trailer of a recycling facility where he worked. He died two days later. to work.
In May, Mr. Carleton, the sheriff’s deputy, met with Mr. Card’s former wife and 18-year-old son at a high school where they had raised concerns with a police officer assigned to The school. Mr. Card’s son relayed that his father had recently grown very angry with him and accused him of talking behind his back.
The son and his mother told the deputy that they were worried about Mr. Card’s deteriorating mental health and rising paranoia. Mr. Card’s former wife told the deputy that he had recently collected 10 to 15 handguns and rifles from his brother’s home and brought them back to He built his own home.
That night, Mr. Card’s ex-wife visited him with his sister, Nicole, and later reported that he had opened the door with a gun and complained that there were people outside his home, casing it. She told the deputy that the following day, Mr. Card also agreed. to Consult a physician about his paranoia. It’s unclear if he did.
Mr. Carleton wrote that Mr. Card’s brother said his paranoia had started around the time that Mr. Card got hearing aids, earlier this year. Mr. Card’s sister-in-law told The New York Times last week that he had gotten them because his hearing had deteriorated after two decades in the Reserve.
When the sheriff’s department was contacted by the Reserve in September, Sergeant Skolfield wrote that he was assured by Mr. Card’s brother that he would work with their father to Make sure Mr. Card has no access to guns.
“They have a way to secure his weapons,” In the last sentence of his report, the sergeant writes:
Reporting has been contributed by Maria Cramer, Shaila Dewan, John Ismay, Amelia Nierenberg The following are some examples of how to get started: Dave Philipps. Kirsten Noyes The following are some examples of how to get started: Jack Begg Contributed research
