World Courant
The Lewiston mass taking pictures investigation fee heard testimony on Thursday from the household of the Military reservist liable for the taking pictures.James Herling, the brother-in-law of reservist Robert Card, detailed the household’s struggles to get him assist as his psychological well being declined.The legislature responded to the taking pictures by passing new gun legal guidelines, together with amendments to the state’s “yellow flag” legislation.
The brother-in-law of an Military reservist liable for killing 18 folks in Maine tearfully apologized for the lethal rampage on Thursday, and described how the household’s efforts to get him assist have been repeatedly pissed off.
Listening to public testimony from shooter Robert Card’s household for the primary time, an unbiased fee investigating the mass taking pictures in Lewiston opened with James Herling. He stated the household struggled for months to get assist for his brother-in-law as Card’s psychological well being declined.
“Our household will always remember your names,” Herling stated, including that photos of the victims are on the partitions of his household house.
MAINE AUTHORITIES THOUGHT CONFRONTING ROBERT CARD WOULD INFLAME SITUATION IN WEEKS BEFORE SHOOTING: VIDEO
An Military reservist with a historical past of psychological well being troubles dedicated the deadliest taking pictures in Maine historical past, opening fireplace with an assault rifle inside a bowling alley and a bar and grill in Lewiston in October. The fee has been assembly for months, listening to from police, victims and their households, and Military reservists who served with Card.
James Herling pauses his testimony whereas recalling the second he realized the shooter was his brother-in-law, Robert Card, whereas testifying, on Could 16, 2024, in Augusta, Maine, throughout a listening to of the unbiased fee investigating the legislation enforcement response to the mass taking pictures in Lewiston, Maine. Nicole Herling, Card’s sister, is seen crying on her husband’s shoulder. (AP Photograph/Robert F. Bukaty)
Previous to Thursday, Card’s household had saved a low profile, aside from releasing a press release in March after disclosing an evaluation of Card’s mind tissue that confirmed proof of traumatic mind accidents. Card had skilled others in the usage of hand grenades, and the Military stated the evaluation pointed to a must do extra to forestall blast-induced accidents.
“We wish to start by saying how deeply sorry and heartbroken we’re for all of the victims, survivors, and their family members, and to everybody in Maine and past who was affected and traumatized by this tragedy. We’re hurting for you and with you, and it’s exhausting to place into phrases how badly we want we might undo what occurred,” the household’s assertion stated.
Card, 40, was discovered useless from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after an in depth search. Within the aftermath, the legislature handed new gun legal guidelines for Maine, a state with an extended custom of firearms possession. Amongst different issues, they bolstered the state’s “yellow flag” legislation, criminalized the switch of weapons to prohibited folks and expanded funding for psychological well being disaster care.
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Family had warned police that Card had grown paranoid and that they have been involved about his entry to weapons. Different reservists additionally witnessed his psychological well being deterioration, to the purpose that he was hospitalized for 2 weeks throughout coaching final summer time. One of many reservists, Sean Hodgson, informed superiors on Sept. 15: “I imagine he’s going to snap and do a mass taking pictures.”
The fee was additionally scheduled to listen to from an official from the Military Reserve Psychological Well being Program on Thursday, however that look was postponed. Fee chair Daniel Wathen thanked Card’s members of the family for testifying.
“The highlight you have been positioned in isn’t one thing you needed,” Wathen stated.
The fee issued an interim report in March saying legislation enforcement ought to have seized Card’s weapons and put him in protecting custody primarily based on these warnings, utilizing the prevailing yellow flag legislation. A full report is due this summer time.
Police testified that the household had agreed to take away Card’s weapons, however the fee stated that leaving this to his household “was an abdication of legislation enforcement’s duty.”
Military reservist’s household describes wrestle to get assist earlier than Lewiston taking pictures
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