A recent investigation has shed light on a Maine statute that might have given the sheriff the authority to confiscate firearms from an individual responsible for a devastating shooting in Lewiston, which resulted in the loss of 18 lives four months ago.
Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey put together a team to examine the actions of the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, focusing on their handling of the situation involving Robert Card, a former U.S. Army reservist. This team found that the sheriff’s office could have utilized Maine’s “yellow flag” law. This law permits the removal of guns from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others after a medical evaluation.
Enacted in 2019, this law aimed to enhance the state’s constitutional right to bear arms. Despite this, efforts to introduce background checks for private gun sales or implement a 72-hour waiting period for buying firearms did not pass last year.
The investigative team pointed out missed opportunities by local law enforcement that might have prevented the tragedy. Five months before Card’s violent spree and subsequent suicide, his family had contacted the sheriff’s office, voicing concerns about his mental health and his access to up to 10 firearms.
The team’s 26-page report criticized the lack of action as a failure of law enforcement’s duty to protect. They highlighted that there was “probable cause” to detain Card in protective custody and confiscate his firearms, especially after he was admitted to a mental health hospital in July. Following his hospitalization, Card was barred from using Army firearms and labeled as “non-deployable” in August.
On October 25, Card embarked on a deadly rampage, starting at a Lewiston bowling alley where he killed seven people. He continued his spree at a bar approximately four miles away, killing eight more. In total, Card’s actions led to 18 deaths and 13 injuries, marking the deadliest instance of gun violence in Maine’s history. Card was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound two days later at a recycling center where he had previously worked.