Investigators say communications breakdown enabled Maine mass shooting

July 23 (UPI) -- A military investigation team determined communication failures enabled Robert Card to commit the worst mass shooting in Maine's history on Oct. 25.

Card, 40, shot and killed 18 people and wounded 13 others in separate shootings at a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, before shooting himself.

An investigation showed his former military chain of command, law enforcement and hospitals treating him for mental health issues did not communicate their respective experiences with and concerns about Card before the mass shooting occurred.

An investigation team comprised of senior military intelligence officers, a military judge advocate, an agent with the Army Criminal Investigation Division and a nurse interviewed 43 witnesses and compiled more than 3,300 pages of documents.

The Army Reserve Command investigative team released its report Tuesday, which said the reservist had been struggling with mental health issues but was labeled a "very low risk" of causing harm to himself and others, staff at the Four Winds Hospital in New York said of Card.

The hospital had admitted Card for aggression, psychosis and homicidal ideations, the investigators determined.

Card shoved another reservist during a training exercise in New York in July 2023 and was put in the Four Winds psychiatric hospital for two weeks.

Card reportedly had a hit list, was "resistant to psycho-education" and blamed others for how he acted but was released from the hospital in August 2023 for unreported reasons.

After his release, staff at the Four Winds Hospital staff did not notify the military for eight days.

When it finally sent notification of Card's release, Army Reserve staff delayed uploading the information for 10 days and did not review it.

A review "would have revealed troubling information that could have been relayed to the chain of command," the investigators reported.

The investigation showed the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Department had enough information to prompt it to remove all firearms from his home.

"If Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office had fully executed their health and welfare check on SFC Card in September 2023, then the mass shooting and suicide may have been avoided," the investigators wrote.

The military prohibited Card from accessing weapons while on duty, but he still had his privately owned firearms at home.

An Army medical services provider recommended the Army Reserve place Card in its disability evaluation program to enable his eventual discharge from the military.

The 115-page report ultimately laid the blame on local law enforcement for not confiscating Card's firearms.

The Army Reserve did punish three officers in Card's Reservist unit for "dereliction of duty" for how they handled Card's hospitalization and other unrelated events.

The investigative team concluded those officers properly notified local law enforcement regarding Card's mental health and access to firearms.

Card enlisted in 2001 and was a petroleum supply specialist but never was assigned to a combat role.

The investigative team has recommended the Army revise its policies and procedures to help prevent similar occurrences.

The investigation was in addition to an ad hoc investigation done by the state of Maine.