An interim report released on Friday by an independent commission investigating a tragic mass shooting in Maine last year, which claimed the lives of 18 individuals, has concluded that the sheriff’s office had sufficient grounds to detain the perpetrator prior to the incident and confiscate his firearms.
Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey formed a commission to thoroughly examine the events that occurred prior to the tragic incident on October 25. This incident involved Army reservist Robert Card, who took the lives of 18 individuals at a bowling alley and a bar. The commission’s main objective is to analyze the sequence of events leading up to the attack, as well as evaluate the response that followed.
The commission, led by a former chief justice of Maine’s highest court, consisted of a former U.S. attorney and the former chief forensic psychologist for the state. Beginning in November, the commission held seven sessions to gather input from law enforcement, survivors, victims’ family members, and members of the U.S. Army Reserve. Their goal was to investigate whether any preventative measures could have been taken to avert the mass shooting and to identify necessary changes for the future.
In May, police were alerted by relatives who expressed concern about Card’s access to guns and his growing paranoia.
In July, Card spent two weeks in a psychiatric unit after he pushed a fellow reservist and barricaded himself in a motel room.
In August, the Army made the decision to prohibit him from handling weapons during his duty and deemed him nondeployable.
Law enforcement officials have expressed concerns about the effectiveness of Maine’s yellow flag law in removing firearms from individuals who pose a potential threat.
During the subsequent testimony, individuals who were part of the intense manhunt for Card, which caused fear among the local residents following the shooting, admitted the possibility of overlooking certain chances to locate him.
Rachael Sloat, the fiancée of Peton Berwer Ross, a victim of the shooting, expressed her heartbreak to the committee as she shared how their 2-year-old daughter constantly asks for her daddy.
“Where are you?” Sloat exclaimed. He called out to politicians, law enforcement officials, and every registered voter across the nation, urging them to ponder his words. “I want you to hear those words. ‘Where are you?'” Sloat questioned. He passionately expressed his disappointment, proclaiming, “Because my fellow Americans, where are you? We have let down my precious daughter.”
