A commission investigating a mass shooting that killed 18 people in Maine last year is scheduled to hear Thursday from a police agency that had contact with the shooter before he committed the killings. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and state Attorney General Aaron Frey assembled the commission to review the events that led up to the shootings at a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston on Oct. 25. Commissioners, who are holding their second meeting Thursday, are also tasked with reviewing the police response.
Quick Read
Key Points of Commission Investigating Maine Mass Shooting:
- Commission’s Purpose: The commission, set up by Maine’s Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey, is investigating the events leading up to a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, which resulted in 18 deaths.
- Focus on Police Response: The commission’s mandate includes reviewing the police response to the shooting at a bowling alley and restaurant on October 25 last year.
- Contact with Shooter: The commission will hear from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department, which had interactions with the shooter, Robert Card, before the killings.
- Missed Opportunities: Legal representatives for some victims’ families have indicated that there were missed chances to prevent Card from carrying out the shootings.
- Background of the Shooter: Card, an Army reservist, was known to be suffering from deteriorating mental health, as acknowledged by police, Army officials, and family members.
- Subpoena Authority Request: The commission has requested subpoena power to conduct its investigation effectively, a request supported by Mills and Frey through proposed legislation.
- Public Meetings and Reports: The commission’s meetings are open to the public, with plans for an open forum for comments. A formal public report will be issued upon conclusion of the investigation.
- Previous Alerts about the Shooter: Army Reserve officials had alerted police about Card’s behavior, including threats to “shoot up” an Army Reserve center and access to weapons.
- Investigation of Law Enforcement Response: An independent report post-shooting found that local law enforcement was aware of Card’s mental health issues but cleared them of any wrongdoing. However, there are concerns about potential missed interventions.
- Composition of the Commission: Chaired by former chief justice Daniel Wathen, the commission includes experts like the former chief forensic psychologist and a former U.S. attorney.
The commission’s investigation into the Maine mass shooting is a comprehensive effort to understand the circumstances leading up to the tragedy and assess the adequacy of the law enforcement response, with implications for future prevention and policy.
The Associated Press has the story:
Commission probing response to Maine mass shooting will hear from sheriff’s office
Newslooks- AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) —
A commission investigating a mass shooting that killed 18 people in Maine last year is scheduled to hear Thursday from a police agency that had contact with the shooter before he committed the killings.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and state Attorney General Aaron Frey assembled the commission to review the events that led up to the shootings at a bowling alley and a restaurant in Lewiston on Oct. 25. Commissioners, who are holding their second meeting Thursday, are also tasked with reviewing the police response.
The meeting will be public and will allow commissioners to speak to members of the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department, a spokesperson for the commission said.
Lawyers for some of the victims’ families have pointed to missed opportunities to prevent Army reservist Robert Card, 40, from committing the shootings and was found dead afterward from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police videos obtained by The Associated Press and other news agencies showed that police declined to confront Card in the weeks beforehand, fearing it would worsen an already volatile situation. Card’s declining mental health was known to police, Army officials and family members, according to numerous interviews.
Mills and Frey said Wednesday that they have introduced legislation to grant subpoena authority to the commission as it investigates, a power that commissioners have said they will need.
“This legislation, which comes at the request of the Independent Commission, will ensure that the commission has the tools it needs to fully and effectively discharge its critical mission of determining the facts of the tragedy in Lewiston,” Mills and Frey said in a statement.
Thursday’s commission meeting is the first of four in which there will be an open forum for comments. Meetings with victims, Maine State Police and the Army are also scheduled.
The commission has said it “will conduct its work in public to the greatest extent possible and issue a formal public report detailing its findings upon the conclusion of its investigation.” Members have said they hope to produce a full report by early summer.
Police were alerted last September by Army Reserves officials about Card, who had been hospitalized in July after exhibiting erratic behavior during training. Officials warned police that he had access to weapons and had threatened to “shoot up” an Army Reserve center in Saco.
An independent report by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office after the shooting found that local law enforcement knew Card’s mental health was declining and that he was hearing voices and experiencing psychotic episodes. The report cleared the agency’s response to concerns about Card, but several legal experts have said it revealed missed opportunities to intervene.
The commission meeting Thursday is chaired by Daniel Wathen, former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Other members include Debra Baeder, the former chief forensic psychologist for the state, and Paula Silsby, a former U.S. attorney for the District of Maine.
