Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
In May, members of Robert Card’s family contacted police in Maine, concerned that he had access to firearms at home given his mental state, which had been declining since January. Deputies would speak with the family as well as representatives from Card’s Army Reserve Unit over the ensuing months, and attempt to make contact with Card on multiple occasions in mid-September. They were unsuccessful.
Just over a month later, Card would commit the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s history, killing 18 people in a rampage that also left more than a dozen others wounded.
A detailed timeline and other records released on Monday evening by the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office revealed the extent to which police were aware of Card’s increasingly alarming behavior, including indications he was hearing voices and was planning to carry out a shooting.