Janice R. Andrews
Members of Robert Card’s Army Reserve unit had expressed concerns to New York health troopers about his declining mental health, prompting the suspected gunman to be confronted. Troops are shown in body camera footage encouraging Card to get psychological counseling after he acknowledged that he was “capable” of doing “something.”
In July, an event involving Card and his fellow Reservists the previous evening led to the troopers’ alertness. Card’s strange behavior, which included violence and paranoia, raised concerns. Card didn’t make overt threats, but his unpredictable behavior raised concerns about possible harm to himself or others.
Card exhibited worrisome delusions, such as thinking he was a pedophile, hearing voices, and losing weight. To make matters worse, his vast arsenal of weapons alarmed his fellow Reservists.
Card would subsequently allegedly open fire at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, in an unsettling turn of events that left a terrible number of people dead or injured.
The importance of comprehending the circumstances leading up to the shooting is highlighted by the recently discovered body camera footage. Subpoena power has been granted to force cooperation from pertinent parties, including the military, while an independent panel investigates the subject. The commission’s endeavors are intended to reveal any possible oversights and avert further catastrophes.
