Card, an Army reservist, killed 18 people and wounded 13 others before taking his own life. Former co-workers reported Card’s increasingly erratic behavior, aggressive talk about guns, and expressions of a desire to buy a silencer. Law enforcement had prior knowledge of Card’s mental health issues, and deputies had made contact with his family in May. Maine Governor Janet Mills is facing questions about the adequacy of law enforcement’s response.
As the investigation into the tragic mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, shifts from a manhunt to the search for a motive, alarming details about the gunman, Robert Card, have come to light. The revelations have prompted questions about whether law enforcement and the military did enough to prevent the deadly rampage that claimed 18 lives and left 13 others wounded. Card, a 40-year-old Army reservist, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound two days after the shooting.
Law enforcement now faces scrutiny over Card’s history of psychiatric treatment in July and attempts by local deputies to make contact with him in mid-September that yielded no results. Newly released records indicate that Card’s mental state had raised concerns as early as May when deputies in Sagadahoc County were in contact with family members who expressed worries about his mental health and reported that he was “likely hearing voices.”
Former co-workers at Maine Recycling Corp., where Card was employed as a commercial driver from February 2022 to early June 2023, have also shed light on his troubling behavior. According to these co-workers, Card exhibited a noticeable change in his mental state earlier this year, with his behavior becoming increasingly erratic.
One co-worker, who requested anonymity due to ongoing employment with Maine Recycling, described Card’s “total mood change” approximately a year after he started working there. Card allegedly exhibited irrational behavior, accusing colleagues of sexual harassment and pedophilia without cause.
While Card did not explicitly threaten to bring guns into the workplace, he frequently and aggressively discussed firearms. He had even expressed a desire to purchase a silencer, according to one co-worker. The same co-worker expressed concerns, predicting that Card might eventually resort to violence. “I knew it was going to come eventually. I said, ‘One day, he’s probably going to shoot someone up,'” the co-worker remarked. “He was bringing up guns heavily and aggressively. It was a very weird situation.”
These revelations have raised questions about whether sufficient measures were taken to address Card’s mental health and the potential risks he posed. Additionally, Maine Governor Janet Mills has faced repeated inquiries about the adequacy of law enforcement’s response in light of the emerging warning signs surrounding Robert Card.