In a recent development surrounding the tragic shootings in Lewiston, Maine, the U.S. Army has issued a clarifying statement regarding the alleged shooter’s military background, differing from earlier reports by Maine State Police.
The tragic shootings occurred on Wednesday night when Robert Card, the suspected shooter, reportedly opened fire at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant. The incident, resulting in reportedly 18 fatalities and at least 13 injuries, has shocked the local community and garnered national attention.
Initially, Maine State Police described Card in a police bulletin as “a trained firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve stationed out of Saco, ME.” However, this statement was refuted in the U.S. Army’s latest statement, which outlined Card’s military role.
According to a U.S. Army statement obtained by The Daily Wire, “SFC Robert Card is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in Saco, Maine. While his unit supported West Point summer training in July of 2023, there are no records to indicate he instructed or participated in any training. The Army did not train SFC Card as a firearms instructor, nor did he serve in that capacity for the Army.”
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The Army’s commitment to uphold its standards in light of these events was evident in their statement. “We take matters such as this very seriously, and our primary concern is ensuring that all legal and appropriate actions are taken in accordance with our commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct among our Soldiers and civilian personnel,” the Army emphasized.
The police bulletin also mentioned Card’s mental health issues, including reported auditory hallucinations and threats to target a National Guard Base.
“Card was also reported to have been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks during summer 2023 and subsequently released,” the police bulletin stated.
The revelation that Card was committed to a mental health facility for a period of two weeks likely indicates that it was involuntary, according to The Daily Wire. As a result, Card would not have been permitted to own or possess a gun by law.
Under Federal law, as outlined by the ATF, anyone “committed to a mental institution” is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.
