Survivors and families of victims from the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, have filed a negligence lawsuit against the U.S. government. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of over 100 individuals, alleges that the U.S. Army failed to prevent Robert Card, an Army reservist, from carrying out the attack that killed 18 people and injured many others. The plaintiffs claim that the Army was aware of Card’s deteriorating mental health and access to firearms but did not take necessary actions to intervene.
According to the lawsuit, the Army had promised to remove Card’s firearms and address his mental health issues but failed to do so. The suit states, “The Army knew that the combination of mental health deterioration, blast-induced brain injury, access to weapons, and paranoid delusions required immediate and decisive intervention to prevent tragedy.”
Despite these warnings, the Army allegedly did not follow mandatory protocols and procedures to mitigate the risks posed by Card.
An independent commission appointed by Maine’s governor found numerous opportunities for intervention by Army officials and civilian law enforcement. The Army’s own investigation revealed communication failures between military and civilian hospitals and within Card’s chain of command, which may have impacted his care and allowed him to retain access to weapons.
The lawsuit seeks accountability from the U.S. Army, Department of Defense, and Keller Army Community Hospital for ignoring the warning signs.
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