Report on Maine shooting blames law enforcement and Army Reserve leadership

The commission investigating the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, released a report detailing failures in preventing the tragedy. Appointed by Gov. Janet Mills, the seven-member independent commission found faults with local law enforcement and Army Reserve leaders.

Failures in Local Law Enforcement and Army Reserve

The report criticized local sheriff’s officers for allowing the gunman, Robert R. Card II, a 40-year-old Army Reserve grenade instructor, to retain his firearms despite clear signs of danger. It also highlighted the negligence of Card’s Army Reserve commanders, who disregarded mental health clinicians' recommendations to closely monitor his treatment and secure his weapons after a brief hospitalization last summer.

The report strongly condemned one of the gunman’s Army Reserve supervisors, Capt. Jeremy Reamer, for failing to follow the psychiatric clinician's recommendations after Card's alarming behavior at an Army hospital in New York last summer. The report indicated that Captain Reamer not only neglected to comply with the recommendations but actively chose to ignore them.

The report from the independent commission sheds light on the shortcomings of both local law enforcement and Army Reserve leaders in the lead-up to the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine. The findings reveal a disturbing pattern of negligence and disregard for the safety of the community, ultimately culminating in the tragic event that unfolded in October.