An outside group investigating the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, last year, found that the sheriff’s office should have taken the killer’s guns before the shooting.
Robert Card shot 18 people at two places on October 25, 2023, and injured 13 others, as CrimeOnline reported. The shootings occurred at Just-in-Time recreation and Schemengees Bar and Grille. Even though the killer was being searched for, Card’s body wasn’t found until two days later at a place that had already been looked through in nearby Lisbon Falls.
The commission, selected by Gov. Janet T. Mills, shared its initial findings on Friday, WGME reported.
The report states that the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office had the chance to stop the shooting in September 2023 and should have taken away Card’s guns at that time under the state’s Yellow Flag Law.
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According to the report, Sgt. Aaron Skolfield was assigned to the case after the National Guard reported that Card “was suffering from some sort of mental health crisis, had recently assaulted a friend, had threatened to shoot up the Saco Armory and harm others, and was in possession of numerous firearms.” The commission says that Skofield made “limited attempts” to meet with Card face to face and did not seek help from prosecutors or other law enforcement.
Next, the report states, Skofield took leave, and the sheriff’s office did not assign another deputy to follow up on the report about Card. Instead, the sheriff’s office made arrangements with Card’s influential family to take away his guns and then did not check back to ensure that it happened.
“The Commission unanimously finds that, given the information known to Sgt. Skolfield on September 17, 2023, the choice to hand over the responsibility for taking Mr. Card’s firearms to Mr. Card’s family was a failure of law enforcement's responsibility,” the commission said. “This decision shifted what is and was a law enforcement responsibility onto civilians who have neither the legal authority to start the Yellow Flag process nor any legal authority to seize weapons.”
The commission said its next steps would be to conduct more public hearings and gather more information before releasing “a final comprehensive report, together with recommendations.”
[Featured image: Robert Card/Lewiston Police Department]