Lewiston, Maine (AP) – Survivors Maine’s most deadly mass shooting Victim’s parents sued the federal government On Wednesday, the U.S. Army alleges that one of its reserves could have stopped it from carrying out what it called “one of the most preventable mass tragedies in American history.”
Eighteen people were killed in October 2023 when Robert Card fired fire at a bowling alley, bar and grill. An independent committee appointed by the governor of Maine later concluded that there were many Opportunities for intervention Both Army officials and civil law enforcement agencies have been exacerbated as the mental health of the cards has deteriorated. He was found dead by suicide two days after the shooting.
“We are all standing here because we lost something valuable on October 25th, 2023. Some of us have lost our loved ones. Some of us have lost the ability to feel safe and secure.
“Losing both your husband and child in a tragedy that never happens is a pain beyond words,” she said at a press conference. In Lewistonnot too far from where the shooting took place. “We trusted those who were in power to protect our loved ones, and their inactions have all been spent on us.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court on behalf of more than 100 survivors and the families of the victims, accused the US government of negligence and said the act “caused a direct and nearby mass shooting.” It alleges that Army officials and others were unable to act reasonably, breaking their promises to Card’s family and their communities, violating enforcement policies, procedures and ignored directives and orders.
“By March 2023, the US and its staff knew that the cards were paranoid, paranoid, violent and had no impulsive control. The Army knew that he had access to firearms. The Army had promised to remove the gun, but they had not fulfilled that promise,” the lawsuit states. “What’s worse, through its actions and omissions, the military withheld information and actively mislead local law enforcement, thereby preventing others from intervening and separating the cards from his weapon.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Defense and the Army said they would not comment on the pending lawsuit. A request for comment was emailed to Keller Army Community Hospital.
“For nearly two years, families and victims have heard silence from the Army as they have carried all their grief and physical scars,” lawyer Travis Brennan said at a press conference. “Families and victims deserve answers and accountability. They deserve resolution and peace.”
The lawyer began the process of suing the government a year ago. Declining mental health. The card’s mental health spiral led to his hospitalization, expressing his viewing of delusional, delusional and murder, the claim said. He even created a “hit list” of people who want to attack, the lawyer said.
“The fact remains that the Army has allowed unstable and mentally ill service members to go out to our community without warning and without warning, without plans to keep our community safe,” Brennan said.
Card’s family and fellow reservations said they had demonstrated paranoid and delusional behavior several months before the shooting. He was hospitalized in the Army during his training in New York in July 2023. His troops were training cadets at West Point, but Army Reserve officials admit that they were not taking his medications at their home in Boudin, Maine, or ensuring that they had followed-up care compliant cards.
The harshest warning was given in September texts from fellow reserves. “I think he’s going to snap and shoot a lot.”
“From the start, the Army ignored mandatory policies, procedures and regulations when handling cards,” the lawsuit states. “In spite of the serious issues presented at the company or battalion level, they have not reported a chain of command to senior military officials with the knowledge, experience and resources to deal with them. Instead, low-ranking part-time personnel mismanaged the risks, resulting in disastrous consequences.”
Army officials conducted their own investigation after the shooting that then Army Reserve Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels said he had discovered “a series of failures by unit leadership.” The three Army Reserve Leaders were disciplined for neglect of duty, According to the report. When the Governor’s Committee released its final report last August, the Army issued a statement saying that it was “committed to reviewing the findings and implementing healthy changes to prevent such tragedy from recurring.”
Lewiston’s shooting led to new gun laws in Maine, a state with a long tradition of hunting and gun ownership. The law was urged Legal measures On the part of state gun rights advocates, it remains a controversial topic almost two years after the shooting.
Ben Dyer, who was shot multiple times and lost the use of one arm, spoke about the lawsuit not about money, but about finding a way to fix it. He said the plaintiffs will continue to support each other as the case progresses. ”
“We’re a strong group,” he said before revising himself. “No, we’re a strong family.”
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Lamar reported from Concord, New Hampshire.
