Maine mass shooter Robert Card stopped taking his prescribed medication several months before the Army committed him to a mental hospital for two weeks, an affidavit shows.
Card, who murdered 18 people and wounded 13 more at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, on Oct. 25 before killing himself, believed voices were calling him a “pedophile” and experienced “paranoia” that people were casing his house. Card’s brother told police that he believed his brother had schizophrenia that had worsened over several months, while another relative of Card told officers that the shooter began hearing voices after a “bad breakup” in February that called him a “pedophile” and “gay” at the locations he eventually shot up, according to the affidavit. (RELATED: Public Safety Officials Believe Mental Health Issues Plagued Maine Mass Shooter)
“[Redacted] explained that since the break-up, Robert has had significant weight loss, has been hospitalized for mental health issues and stopped taking prescribed medication,” the documents said.
“[Redacted] stated that Robert met [his ex-girlfriend, redacted] at a cornhole competition at Schemengee’s,” the documents added. “[Redacted] said that ever since the relationship ended Robert started wearing hearing aids and had been saying crazy things.”
William “Bill” Young, 43, and his son Aaron Young, 14. They were both at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley because Aaron was a part of the youth bowling league. pic.twitter.com/upaO77Umne
— Natasha ❀ (@ndelriego) October 27, 2023
Card had been involuntarily committed to a mental institution in July because he was acting erratically and threatened the Army base where he was stationed. The Army also contacted the local sheriff’s department in September expressing concerns from some of their reservists that Card would “snap and commit a mass shooting,” but officers never made contact with Card and canceled an alert about his mental health issues exactly a week before he committed the mass shooting.
Card’s brother, Ryan, had told officers he would keep an eye on Card and would put his weapons in a locked safe on the family’s property. But Card possessed a key to the safe and had access to the weapons in the days leading up to the mass shooting, according to police documents.
The Lewiston Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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