Alleged Maine gunman displayed glaring mental health signals, threatening and violent behavior, in months leading up to shooting

Months forward of his bloody rampage in Lewiston remaining week, suspected Maine gunman Robert Card had displayed glaring indicators that his mental health used to be on a drastic decline – indicators which his quick members of the family knew about, have been involved by way of – and explicitly warned regulation enforcement that one thing wanted to be accomplished, in accordance to paperwork received by way of ABC News by way of information requests.

As a long way again as January, Card’s mental health had already began to decline, his circle of relatives mentioned. By May it used to be getting even worse, and they have been involved for his well-being, and that he had get right of entry to to firearms.

Despite some follow-up between native police and the Army Reserves relating to Card’s obvious paranoia, verbalized threats to shoot other folks and recurrent competitive conduct in fresh months, the paperwork don’t point out that Card used to be ever taken into protecting custody or judged mentally incompetent by way of a scientific skilled which is needed to cause Maine’s yellow flag regulation.

On Oct. 25, Card’s repeated caution indicators would turn out deadly, when he would act on his threats in back-to-back massacres that claimed the lives of 18 and injured 13 extra.

Family seeks lend a hand

On May 3, Card’s ex-wife and their teenage son went to the place of job of the Topsham School Resource Officer with issues about Robert Card, in accordance to an incident record from responding officer, Sagadahoc County Deputy Chad Carleton.

In all caps on the most sensible of that record, a understand to patrol advises to “USE CAUTION IF RESPONDING” to Card’s place of dwelling due to his “PARANOID BEHAVIOR” and that he has “10-15 FIREARMS” in his space and/or truck.

“I learned from [Card’s son] that his father’s mental health is in question. [Card’s son] told me that back around January, he noticed his father was starting to claim that people were saying things about him, while out in public,” Carleton wrote.

In public, Card’s son mentioned his father would “start to claim that people around them were talking about him” even if nowhere close by, and pronouncing not anything in his course.

Card’s son concluded his father used to be “likely hearing voices or starting to experience paranoia,” a “re-occurring theme” as Card claimed derogatory issues have been being mentioned about him, “such as calling him a pedophile,” Carleton wrote.

That paranoia and anger can be grew to become in opposition to his personal circle of relatives, [Card’s son] recounting that in April he had visited his father and Card “became very angry, accusing him of saying things about him behind his back,”

In the aftermath of the carnage that rocked rural Maine remaining week a portrait of who Robert Card used to be is now getting into fuller public view – although the paperwork display that worrisome warnings had already been communicated to regulation enforcement for months.

“Robert is currently an Army Reservist assigned to a training unit in Saco and has historically instructed soldier’s on the use of hand grenades,” Carleton learns from Card’s son and ex-wife, in accordance to the May incident record.

“Cara said she is very worried about [their son] spending time with Robert, considering what may be a deteriorating mental health condition,” Carleton wrote.

“Cara also told me that Robert had recently picked up 10-15 handguns/rifles that had previously been stored at his brother Ryan Card’s house. [His son] said the majority of the guns are locked up in Robert’s bedroom but added he may have one in his truck. [Card’s son] denied that Robert has done anything threatening with the guns, but is concerned that his father has them.”

Though the Card circle of relatives used to be “aware of Robert’s deteriorating mental health,” mom and son advised investigators all mitigating efforts “have been in vain as Robert is in denial,” Officer Carleton recounted, and that “Robert has been historically resistant to admitting anything is wrong.”

Card’s brother Ryan had now not discovered he used to be “becoming this paranoid or hearing voices,” however that all the way through episodes of “heavy drinking” he would make “angry rants about having to shoot someone,” Card’s ex-wife mentioned, in accordance to the May incident record.

Card’s brother used to be additionally “not aware Robert had picked up his guns and was concerned over this,” Carleton recounts from a dialog they’d, the May incident record mentioned.

According to the May incident record, Card’s brother advised investigators he believed the paranoia and anger started when Card were given listening to aids for the primary time, in February, which Sagadahoc County Deputy Carleton says from his analysis may be able to be a part of the constellation – but in addition is usually a accident.

Card’s ex-wife and son “both don’t want Robert to know they are bringing this information forward to law enforcement, for fear it will aggravate the situation,” Carleton’s May record mentioned – that in the interim they have been “simply going to try and avoid contact” and that “everyone agreed” the “best avenue of getting Robert some help” may well be to touch Card’s command in the Army Reserves.

After talking with the circle of relatives, Deputy Carleton reached out to Card’s Army Reserves battalion in Saco – who in flip knowledgeable him “there has recently been considerable concern for Robert.”

“It sounded like they may be aware of his recent mental health decline,” Deputy Carleton wrote in the May incident record.

Carleton used to be advised that Card “had been accusing other soldiers of calling him a sex offender which seems to coincide with some of the behavior [Card’s son] has witnessed,” he writes, however that the total extent of the problem won’t had been recognized.

“First Sgt. Mote said he had no idea the problem is perhaps as bad as (Card’s son) is now describing. He thanked me for the notification because they are scheduled for an upcoming training exercise involving crew served weapons and grenades,” Carleton wrote in the May incident record.

Brewing paranoia sours to aggression

According to sheriff’s division incident stories Card’s issues over being classified a pedophile boiled over this summer time.

In July, whilst on a lager run with fellow infantrymen, Card accused them of calling him a pedophile and even wondering the dimensions of his manhood, then were given right into a bodily disagreement one soldier described as a “longtime friend,” shoving him, the letter from Card’s military reserve unit to the sheriff’s place of job says.

An e-mail from a member of Card’s military reserve unit to the sheriff’s place of job says that incident led to Card being evaluated by way of an Army psychologist who made up our minds he wanted additional remedy.

According to the e-mail Card used to be taken to Four Winds Psychiatric Hospital in Katonah, NY for remedy and analysis in mid-July and used to be launched after 14 days.

Documents from the sheriff’s place of job display in early September the Army Reserve asked a health and welfare test for Card, after a reserve soldier expressed fear that Card used to be going to devote a mass shooting.

The soldier says he used to be in the auto with Card when Card began speaking about shooting up puts and punched him.

“According to Hodgson, Card said he has guns and is going to shoot up the drill center at Saco and other places. He also said he was going to get ‘them.’ Since the commander and I are the ones who had him committed we are the ‘them.’ He also said I was the reason he can’t buy guns anymore because of the commitment. Hodgson is concerned that Card is going to snap and commit a mass shooting,” the e-mail from Card’s Army Reserve unit to the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s place of job says.

The message is going on to say, ​​“I would rather err on the side of caution with regards to Card since he is a capable marksman and, if he should set his mind to carry out the threats made to Hodgson, he would be able to do it.”

Authorities issued an alert referred to as a “File 6,” caution regulation enforcement companies around the state that Card used to be affected by psychotic episodes and used to be “known to be armed and dangerous.”

Sagadahoc officials went to Card’s indexed deal with, however the brand new citizens advised them he lived subsequent door.

In a Sept. 15 police incident record at the welfare test, responding officer Aaron Skolfield notes it had come to the Army Reserves’ consideration that “Card is having psychotic episodes where he is hearing voices that are insulting him calling him a pedophile.”

“Card is also making threats to shoot up the Saco [Army Reserve] facility,” noting his psych dedication over the summer time “due to his altered mental state but has since been released.”

“It should be noted that Card is a firearms instructor … so utmost caution must be utilized,” he added.

The subsequent day, Sagadahoc County deputies returned, pronouncing Card might be heard shifting round within, however he refused to resolution the door. Finding themselves in a “very disadvantageous position,” the deputies determined to again away in accordance to the incident record filed after the consult with.

The Army Reserve advised them Card had behaved in a similar fashion in the previous, in accordance to an incident record, and “after he keeps to himself for a while he will come back out.”

Deputies say they have been additionally advised Card not had any guns from the reserve unit and that preparations have been being made with Card’s brother to retrieve the private guns belonging to Card.

A sheriff’s place of job record says deputies showed Card’s brother used to be in a position to get his weapons and that he and his father would be certain Card didn’t have get right of entry to to any firearms.

Documents display deputies canceled the File 6 alert for Card on October 18th – one week earlier than Card would in the end open hearth on males, girls and kids at two other places.

In a written remark Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry says he believes his company acted correctly and adopted procedures.

“My office will evaluate our policies and procedures for how we conduct wellness checks with the goal of making any improvements that are in the interest of public safety while balancing the rights of individuals. Our hearts are breaking for the families and friends of the people who were killed and injured.”