Maine Sheriff Joel Merry sent an alert to all law enforcement agencies in the state last month, notifying them of threats made by Army reservist Robert R. Card II against his Army Reserve base in Saco, Maine. Merry’s efforts to locate Card were unsuccessful, but his alert marked the strongest indication that law enforcement was aware of the potential danger posed by Card before he carried out a mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston. The Maine Department of Public Safety, which led a two-day manhunt for Card before finding him dead in a trailer, did not respond to requests for comment.
Sheriff Merry declined to provide details on the reported threats, and it is unclear if other departments that received the alert attempted to locate Card. Two law enforcement leaders in Maine stated that they did not recall receiving the alert, but noted that they receive numerous notifications. Card, an Army reservist since 2002 who was trained as a petroleum supply specialist, had a history of paranoia and may have been hearing voices according to the commissioner of the public safety department. He legally purchased several guns before the attack and fled the scene before being found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a trailer at a recycling plant.
In the aftermath of the mass shooting, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of law enforcement’s response to the threats made by Card. The alert sent by Sheriff Merry indicates that authorities were aware of the potential danger but were unable to locate Card before the attack took place. The Maine Department of Public Safety, however, did not comment on the matter. While some law enforcement leaders claim not to have received the alert, it remains unclear if any action was taken by those who did receive it to find Card. The shooter’s mental instability and paranoid behavior were factors that contributed to the tragedy, and he had legally purchased firearms prior to the attack. The manhunt that followed the shooting ended with the discovery of Card’s body in a trailer, where he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Further investigation and analysis are needed to determine how law enforcement agencies can improve their response to potential threats to prevent such incidents in the future.
