Three Army Reserve officers were disciplined for “dereliction of duty” following an investigation over how a Sergeant First Class (SFC) in the reserves killed 18 people in Maine on Oct. 25, an army report read.
The Office of the Secretary of the Army released the report, titled “Overview of the Investigation Ordered by the Commander of United States Army Reserve Command Following the Mass Shooting in Lewiston, Maine,” Tuesday.
The U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) report observed that “three officers in” the shooter SFC Robert R. Card II’s “chain of command” received disciplinary actions based on the investigation’s recommendations. The report did not identify the disciplined officers. The USARC investigators cited “multiple communication failures between military and civilian hospitals, as well as SFC Card’s chain of command” that “impacted Card’s continuity of care.”
The investigators found that Card carried out the mass shooting that left 18 people dead and 13 wounded due to his “deteriorating mental health.” The sergeant committed suicide two days after the shooting. Card “was not on duty nor under the direct control of the U.S. Army” at the time of mass shooting.
Card’s mental health crisis originated back in “the fall of 2022” when he “began to experience a series of emotional events and behavioral health challenges, including auditory hallucinations, the use of new hearing aids and interpersonal conflicts with others, including fellow USAR unit members.”
The sergeant’s family notified local law enforcement about his declining mental condition back in May 2023 and a behavioral health evaluation done at a hospital diagnosed him with a “Brief Psychotic Disorder,” the report found. (RELATED: ‘He’s Going To Snap’: Best Friend Of Alleged Shooter Robert Card Warned Authorities Prior To Mass Shooting: REPORT)
A court date to consider whether to “involuntarily commit” Card to a hospital was “cancelled,” resulting in his release in August 2023. The hospital’s staff did not disclose the reason for his release to the USARC investigation, according to the report.
“Card effectively ceased communication with medical personnel” following his release from the hospital and socially isolated himself. He then carried out what the investigators described as “the worst mass shooting in Maine’s history” and killed himself two days after.
“My heart and soul goes out to all those families, the folks that were witnesses to what happened,” Army Reserves chief Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels told reporters, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
BREAKING: Three reserve officers have been disciplined for dereliction of duty in the aftermath of a reservist’s rampage in which 18 people were killed in Maine, an Army report says. https://t.co/WE9knL4x1T
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 23, 2024
“We’re doing the best that we can in terms of understanding what did transpire, then make changes for the future,” Daniels added, according to the AP.
“While nothing we can do will bring back the lives lost in Lewiston, we can — and must — work together to help prevent future shootings,” Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said in a statement to the outlet.
