Current:Home > StocksPanel to investigate Maine shooting is established as lawyers serve notice on 20 agencies -MoneyTrend
Panel to investigate Maine shooting is established as lawyers serve notice on 20 agencies
View
Date:2025-04-14 19:46:01
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — The independent commission announced by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to investigate the shootings that claimed 18 lives in Maine last month includes former judges, prosecutors and mental health professionals, who were directed Thursday by the governor and attorney general to “follow the facts wherever they may lead.”
The governor formally created the panel with an executive order Thursday on the same day some victims and family members signaled their intent to sue with requests to 20 state and federal agencies to preserve evidence.
“The community of Lewiston, especially the victims and their families, have many unanswered questions. Why did this happen? How did the system fail? What changes are needed to ensure this never happens again?” said attorney Travis Brennan from Berman & Simmons, a Lewiston-based law firm.
The shootings at a bowling alley and a nearby bar on Oct. 25 in Lewiston killed 18 people and injured 13 others, making it the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history.
The independent panel announced by the governor and Attorney General Aaron Frey includes former Chief Justice Daniel Wathen along with other former state and federal judges and prosecutors, a forensic psychologist and an official at a private psychiatric hospital.
“As we have said, the complete facts and circumstances — including any failures or omissions — must be brought to light and known by all. The families of the victims, those who were injured, and the people of Maine and the nation deserve nothing less,” Mills and Frey said in a statement.
Critics have pointed to missed opportunities to prevent the tragedy because the alleged shooter, Army reservist Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, had been known to law enforcement for months as family members and fellow reservists became increasingly worried about his mental state along with his access to firearms.
Concern accelerated following an altercation with fellow Army Reserve members last summer while training in New York state, leading to a 14-day stay at a psychiatric hospital for Card. The concerns continued when Card returned to Maine, with one fellow reservist reporting that “he’s going to snap and do a mass shooting.”
Deputies visited Card’s home but he didn’t come to the door.
A week before the shooting, Card was working as a truck driver delivering bread to a location in Hudson, New Hampshire, when he said, “maybe you will be the ones I snap on,” according to redacted documents released Thursday. That incident happened on Oct. 19, but wasn’t reported until after the shootings.
Card’s body was found two days after the shootings in the back of a tractor-trailer in a nearby town. An autopsy concluded he died by suicide eight to 12 hours before his body was discovered.
veryGood! (898)
Related
- Vance jokes he’s checking out his future VP plane while overlapping with Harris at Wisconsin airport
- Florida House votes to loosen child labor laws a year after tougher immigrant employment law enacted
- South Carolina to provide free gun training classes under open carry bill passed by state Senate
- Taylor Swift's Travis Kelce-themed jewelry is surprisingly affordable. Here's where to buy
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- We’re Confident You’ll Want to See Justin and Hailey Bieber’s PDA Photo
- Yellowstone’s Kevin Costner Introduces Adorable New Family Member
- 'Black joy is contagious': Happiness for Black Americans is abundant, but disparities persist
- Police remove gator from pool in North Carolina town: Watch video of 'arrest'
- Duke Energy seeks new ways to meet the Carolinas’ surging electric demand
Ranking
- Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Calls Him “Absolutely Pathetic” and a “Serial Adulterer”
- FDA says 561 deaths tied to recalled Philips sleep apnea machines
- Lawmaker seeks to reverse Nebraska governor’s rejection of federal child food funding
- Police officer found guilty of using a baton to strike detainee
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Nikki Haley has called out prejudice but rejected systemic racism throughout her career
- Netflix reveals first look at 'Squid Game' Season 2: What we know about new episodes
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologizes for keeping hospitalization secret
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
'He died of a broken heart': Married nearly 59 years, he died within hours of his wife
US founder of Haiti orphanage who is accused of sexual abuse will remain behind bars for now
Lawmakers move to help veterans at risk of losing their homes
Louisiana high court temporarily removes Judge Eboni Johnson Rose from Baton Rouge bench amid probe
US jobs report for January is likely to show that steady hiring growth extended into 2024
Who freed Flaco? One year later, eagle-owl’s escape from Central Park Zoo remains a mystery
Ranking all 57 Super Bowls from best to worst: How does first Chiefs-49ers clash rate?