RED FLAGS
Haunting warning by Robert Card’s family about his ‘mental state & guns’ months before 18 killed in Maine mass shooting
MAINE gunman Robert Card had been on law enforcement's radar for months before the mass shootings in Lewiston, cops have revealed.
Card, 40, was found dead on Friday, 48 hours after he killed 18 and wounded 13 others in two mass shootings, cops say.
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On Monday, the local sheriff's office revealed that Card's family and Army Reserve unit had both contacted police multiple times in the weeks and months before the massacre.
Card's family contacted the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office on May 3, 2023, and told them that Card's mental health had been declining since January, the agency said.
They were concerned for his well-being and told deputies that he had access to guns.
That led the sheriff's office to reach out to the Army Reserve's 3rd Battalion Training Group and connect them with Card's family.
Card's unit sergeant said he planned to speak with Card and the sheriff's office was told he would get medical attention, according to the agency.
Then, in September, Card's Army Reserve unit in Saco asked that deputies go check on Card.
They visited his home on September 15 for a wellness check but he wasn't home.
A File 6 - an alert issued by police when they're trying to locate a person - was sent out in an attempt to find Card.
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It included a warning to other law enforcement that Card was "known to be armed and dangerous" and that officers should use "extreme caution."
A deputy returned to Card's home on September 16 and saw his car at the residence.
He knocked repeatedly and thought he might've seen someone moving around in the home, but no one answered the door.
"The Sagadahoc County deputy then made contact with Mr. Card's unit commander, who said that Mr. Card no longer had any weapons from the reserve unit," the sheriff's office wrote.
"His unit commander advised they were trying to get treatment for Mr. Card and that he thought it best to let Card have time to himself."
On September 17, the deputy contacted Card's brother, who said he would try to secure any guns Card had access to.
The deputy asked that the family call them back if they believed Card needed an evaluation or became a risk to himself or others.
The File 6 alert was canceled on October 18 - days before Card opened fire at the Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant.
The sheriff's office said: "We believe that our agency acted appropriately and followed procedures for conducting an attempt to locate and wellness check."
A review is underway to see if the sheriff's policies and procedures for wellness checks should be improved, the agency said.
"Our hearts are breaking for the families and friends of the people who were killed and injured," the news release concluded.
48-HOUR MANHUNT
Card opened fire inside the Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley at around 6:55pm on October 25.
He then drove four miles to Schemengees Bar and Grille and continued his killing spree.
As first responders rushed to help the victims and identify the dead, Card was nowhere to be found.
A massive manhunt ensued with searches focusing around Card's loved ones' homes and a boat ramp near where his car was found abandoned.
His body was found by Maine State Police at 7:45 pm on Friday, almost exactly 48 hours after the bloodshed began.
Card had a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he was located in a trailer at Maine Recycling in Lisbon, however, it's unclear when he died.
The gunman appeared to be wearing the same clothes he was pictured in while wielding an AR-15-style rifle at the bowling alley.
Two guns were found with his body, in addition to a long gun that was located in Card's white Subaru during the manhunt for him.
MYSTERY MOTIVE
Card left a note to a loved one with the password to his cell phone and bank account information, Maine Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Sauschuck said on Saturday.
Sauschuck said the "tone and tenor" was that Card knew he was not going to be around.
"That's not uncommon in suicide situations," Sauschuck said.
A motive for the massacre remains unknown, with earlier reports suggesting Card could've been looking for an ex on the night of the rampage, and that he'd recently been fired from his job.
A Maine mom told The U.S. Sun that her teenage son played cornhole with Card at the same bar where he conducted part of his sick rampage.
The teen called Card a "nice guy," and said that he took a loss in the tournament well.
"He shook his hand and everything and told him, 'If you were older, you played so good I'd have bought you a beer,'" Jennifer Coffey said.
It was previously reported that Card was committed to a mental health facility over the summer.
Sauschuck said there was "clearly a mental health component to this," but that they "have not seen, to this point, that Mr. Card was forcibly committed for treatment."
In total, 18 people have died and 13 more were wounded between both sites that were targeted by the deranged gunman.
The 18 victims were identified as Peyton Brewer-Ross, 39; Ronald G. Morin, 55; Tommy Conrad, 34; Michael Deslauriers II, 51; Bryan MacFarlane, 41; Arthur Fred Strout, 42; Joseph "Joey" Walker, 57; Joshua Seal, 36; Tricia Asselin, 53; Maxx Hathaway, 35; William and Aaron Young, 44 and 14, respectively, Robert "Bob" Violette and his wife Lucy, 76 and 73 respectively; Jason Adam Walker, 51; Keith D. Macneir, 64; William Frank Brackett, 48; and Stephen M. Vozzella, 45.
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Sauschuck said on Saturday that three of the injured remain in critical condition.
Evidence from both of the shooting sites, as well as the scene where Card's body was found, is still being processed.
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