Maine Army Reservist Mass Shooter Was Homicidal, Shouldn’t Have Reported for Duty: Military Report

An investigation into army reservist Robert Card’s shooting rampage that killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, in October 2023 found that poor communication between the military chain of command and Card’s medical providers delayed the sharing of details about the extent of his mental health challenges. After being hospitalized at a psychiatric facility, Card’s discharge summary was not uploaded to the military’s system for more than two weeks after he left their care, and the summary’s findings would have prohibited Card from being ordered to attend an annual military training, CNN reported. According to Card’s discharge summary, he had “homicidal ideations,” and text messages sent a month before the mass shooting revealed that a friend warned military authorities that Card might “snap and do a mass shooting.” Card’s discharge summary also reported that he “had homicidal ideations … appeared resistant to psychoeducation, and he blamed others for his behavior.” Due to Card’s status as an army reservist, who is only on duty 40 days a year, army leaders reportedly had “limited jurisdiction” over his whereabouts. However, three people in Card’s chain of command have been disciplined for failing to conduct a Line of Duty investigation, which would have “properly” documented his medical challenges and hospitalization.