Laura Barron-Lopez:
Along with the grief, there's growing scrutiny about why law enforcement didn't find or stop Robert Card before the shooting.
His friends and family and the Army Reserve all reported concerns about his behavior and access to guns to police months before the shooting, according to documents released by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office. We have now learned that, in May, Card's family told police he was experiencing paranoia and hearing voices. They also reported he had 10 to 15 firearms.
In July, Card's Army Reserve unit sent him to a psychiatric hospital for two weeks. In early September, Card told a friend he was going to commit a mass shooting. Then, on September 15, deputies went to Card's home, but didn't find him. They sent an alert to other law enforcement agencies stating he was — quote — "armed and dangerous."
On September 16, police returned to Card's home, found his car, and reported hearing someone inside who would not answer the door. On October 18, just one week before the attack, police canceled the alert.
For a closer look at this, I'm joined by Margaret Groban, a retired federal prosecutor and law professor at University of Maine School of Law.
Margaret, thank you so much for joining.
Can you recall a shooting like this, where multiple active warnings right before the shooting occurs and they go nowhere?
Margaret Groban, University of Maine School of Law: Well, I think you have to kind of look at it in context.
Looking at it in hindsight, which is 20/20, it looks like all these dots have been connected. But I doubt that those dots were all connected ahead of time. And so — and the law enforcement was really limited in what they could do in this situation.
Although it's a tragic situation, I think the mental health crisis and the access to firearms, especially an assault weapon, is what led to the tragedy here.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sa7SZ6arn1%2Bjsri%2Fx6isq2ejnby4e8%2Boo6KblWLApL7UraCnoaqasW6txa2cq2WimsOmuMCtoKimo2K6orXNnmSsoJ%2Bkwaa%2B0madmqWZocZussuanqCdlGK1qr%2BMm5yhmaaevLM%3D