AUGUSTA, Maine – An independent commission investigating the response to a mass shooting in Lewiston has uncovered missed opportunities by law enforcement to apprehend the shooter, which sparked a manhunt and terrorized the community. The commission, assembled by Maine Gov. Janet Mills and state Attorney General Aaron Frey, is reviewing the events that led to the shootings, which claimed the lives of 18 people at a bowling alley and a restaurant on October 25.
Officers from the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, as well as members of the Lewiston and Lisbon police departments, have testified before the commission. The commission heard about the chaotic aftermath of the killings and the subsequent manhunt, which lasted two days before the shooter, Robert Card, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot at a recycling facility in Lisbon.
Even after recognizing the potential to end the dragnet a day earlier, officials revealed that officers did not find anything during a cursory search at the recycling facility. According to Lisbon Officer Renee Bernard, the search was focused on seeing if anything was out of sorts at the location Card had been tied to. Additionally, lawyers for the victims highlighted potential missed opportunities to prevent the shootings in the weeks leading up to the tragedy, as warnings about Card’s deteriorating mental health and potential for violence had been reported.
During the hearings, police described the response to the shootings and search for Card as challenging due to the bad tips they received while investigating. The chaotic scene in the aftermath of the killings was also highlighted, with law enforcement undertaking the two-day manhunt for the shooter while residents were locked in their homes.
The commission, which also heard from tearful family members of the shooting victims, is expected to investigate potential missed opportunities to prevent the tragedy and produce a written report in the coming months. In response to the incident, Gov. Mills has announced proposals aimed at preventing future gun tragedies, including improving mental crisis care and boosting background checks for private sales of weapons.
The commission also hopes to hear from Army officials at a future hearing as part of their thorough investigation.