The latest report on the Maine gunman delivers another blow to those who want to grab our guns.
In July, the Army warned that Robert Card, 40, was a dangerous man:
The Army in July said that Robert Card, 40, “should not have a weapon, handle ammunition, and not participate in live fire activity,” after he was seen “behaving erratically” and sent for an evaluation at an Army hospital, Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro said.About two months later, a deputy was sent to check on Card twice in mid-September after a soldier became concerned the reservist would “snap and commit a mass shooting,” according to a document from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department. An alert was then sent to law enforcement warning that Card was “armed and dangerous.”
Six weeks later, Card killed 18 people in Lewiston, ME.
We already know that Card’s family made many attempts to contact officials about him before the Army’s warning in July:
The Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office was contacted on May 3 by Card’s family, who said they were concerned for his well-being and shared that he had access to firearms, documents show.Card’s 18-year-old son told a deputy that starting around January, his father was “starting to claim that people were saying things about him, while out in public,” according to documents shared by the sheriff’s office.His ex-wife also told the deputy that Card had “picked up 10-15 handguns/rifles” that were at his brother’s house, the document says.The ex-wife and son said their plan was to stay away from Card, according to the documents.
The sheriff’s department claimed that the deputy who spoke to the family went to the 3rd Battalion 304 Training Group representatives and put them in touch with the family.
The representatives told the family the office “would ensure that Card received medical attention.”
Deputies also went to Card’s home weeks before the shooting. He never showed up to the military facility he threatened to shoot up. His unit asked for a health and wellness check.
The deputy never saw him on September 15 and 16.
That led to a File 6 alert:
The Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office sent a File 6 alert – an attempt to locate teletype – to other law enforcement agencies about Card, warning that he’s known to be armed and dangerous. The sheriff’s office said File 6 alerts are “common and are issued by law enforcement when they are trying to locate a person.”“Robert has been suffering from psychotic episodes & hearing voices,” the alert to law enforcement says. “He is a firearms instructor and made threats to shoot up the National Guard armory in Saco. He was committed over the summer for two weeks due to his altered mental health state, but then released… if located, use extreme caution.”
The office canceled the File 6 alert on October 18, only a week before Card killed 18 people.
So many red flags.
But it’s the guns! It’s definitely not the shooter or the numerous people in charge who did nothing or didn’t put in enough effort.
“Oh, I showed up, and no one was there.” Yeah, that totally counts.
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