Families of the people killed in the October 25 Lewiston mass shooting filed a statement Tuesday threatening to sue the U.S. Army for their alleged negligence in failing to stop Robert Card from murdering 18 people.
“The United States, through its agencies the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and Keller Army Community Hospital, and its employees failed to protect and defend the people of Lewiston, Maine, from a solider who displayed warning signs of mental illness and specifically expressed intent to commit mass violence,” said the statement.
The legal notice gives the federal agencies six months to respond and properly investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting or face a lawsuit from 100 surviving victims and family members of the deceased.
The families accused the Army of failing to do anything to prevent the shooting by its reserve sergeant, despite knowledge of his deteriorating mental state at least seven months prior to the incident.
Card was hospitalized in New York and given a behavioral health evaluation by the Army’s order in July 2023 after displaying violent and paranoid behavior while in the city for Army exercises.
The evaluation revealed that Card had homicidal tendencies and even had a hit list of people he believed had wronged him, whom he intended to kill.
The letter accuses the mental health professionals of failing to file a Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act (SAFE Act) report.
Mental health professionals must file a SAFE report if they believe a patient is likely to commit violence.
The notice accuses the army of withholding critical details from local law enforcement after they were informed in September that Card had threatened to “shoot up” an army drill center in Saco and boasted that he could kill 100 people.
Army personnel reportedly downplayed the threats to local law enforcement and urged them not to take action against Card.
They also failed to remove Card’s firearms, even after it was recommended by Card’s mental health examiners and officers, and even though Card himself agreed to have his firearms removed while he was in the hospital.
[RELATED: Independent Commission Investigating Lewiston Shooting Releases Final Report…]
The notice relied in part on the findings of Governor Janet Mills’ (D-Maine) Independent Commission on the Lewiston shooting.
The commission found that both local law enforcement and the Army failed to take actions within their power that could have prevented the shooting and saved the lives of the 18 people Card murdered.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="31787 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=31787">4 Comments
These families deserve accountability and justice and are very likely looking in the right place. The DoD (BARDA/DARPA) is also responsible for millions of Covid-19 deaths. I know it sounds conspiratorial but as Rush used to say, “Don’t doubt me.”
I wonder what scum bag attorney is going to make millions off of this death and pain … hmmm …
Correct me if I’m wrong, but millions of dollars have been raised for the families and is being managed by a ‘non-profit’ group in Portland?…A recent fundraiser, a softball tournament for the second year in a row, was aiming to raise $350,000 this year and raised $200,000 last year. I know this doesn’t sound empathetic at all, but where is all this money going? I dunno, it’s beginning to look like a money grab to me and isn’t really ‘honoring’ those whose lives were taken so tragically any longer.
Yes, where is the money that has been raised? That is a legitimate question and it will come out in court. Facts matter more than emotion.
Next lawsuit should be against Sagadahoc Sheriff department and Maine State Police. They failed just like the DOD. All parties need to be held accountable, like it or not.