LEWISTON, Maine – A friend and fellow Army reservist repeatedly warned military officials about the disturbing behavior of Robert Card, who later carried out Maine’s deadliest mass shooting, killing 18 people in Lewiston in October 2023. Despite the warnings and other red flags, the Army did not intervene to prevent the tragedy.
Sean Hodgson, the friend who raised concerns about Card, shared cellphone text screenshots where he expressed his fears to his Army supervisor, warning that he believed Card was capable of carrying out a mass shooting. Hodgson’s warnings were tragically accurate, but unfortunately, they did not lead to any preventive action by Army officials.
The failure of the Army to take appropriate measures despite multiple warnings has raised questions about the military’s handling of potential threats within its ranks. This incident sheds light on the challenges of identifying and addressing individuals at risk of committing violent acts, especially within a large organization like the Army.
In response to the revelation, Army officials have expressed their commitment to reviewing and improving their protocols for evaluating and responding to potential threats in the future. They emphasize the importance of taking all threats seriously and implementing necessary measures to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring again.
In October 2023, Robert Card, a fellow Army reservist, carried out Maine’s deadliest mass shooting, killing 18 people in Lewiston. Despite repeated warnings from his friend, Sean Hodgson, and other red flags, the Army did not intervene to prevent the tragedy, raising concerns about the military’s handling of potential threats within its ranks. The incident has prompted military officials to review and improve their protocols for evaluating and responding to potential threats.