{"id":2355529,"date":"2024-10-16T08:27:01","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T12:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maine-victims-of-lewiston-mass-shooting-to-sue-army-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-16T08:28:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T12:28:18","slug":"maine-victims-of-lewiston-mass-shooting-to-sue-army-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maine-victims-of-lewiston-mass-shooting-to-sue-army-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Maine victims of Lewiston mass shooting to sue Army &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmaine-victims-of-lewiston-mass-shooting-to-sue-army-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2355529&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Family members and survivors of a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, are preparing to sue the U.S. Army for not acting\u200d on \u200dwarning signs regarding the mental health of \u2063the shooter, Army Reservist Robert Card. The \u2062lawsuit claims the Army ignored clear indications of Card&#8217;s deteriorating mental state,\u200d including suicidal thoughts and threats of\u2063 violence, leading\u2062 to the shooting that \u2064killed 18 people on \u2064October \u200d25, 2023. The\u2063 plaintiffs argue that\u200d the Army had multiple opportunities to intervene and failed to follow its own policies, allowing Card to remain armed in the community despite his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/9-year-old-girl-pepper-sprayed-during-interaction-with-rochester-police\/\" title=\"9-Year-Old Girl Pepper Sprayed During Interaction With Rochester Police\">mental health issues<\/a>. The legal \u200dprocess has begun \u200cwith a letter of intent, and the \u2064Army, Department of Defense, and Keller Army Community \u200cHospital will have six months to respond before formal \u2064litigation can be initiated. \u2063This \u2064incident has\u2063 highlighted\u200d concerns over firearm access for individuals with documented mental health problems, particularly in a state with historically\u2064 low crime rates yet resistance to gun control measures.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Maine victims of Lewiston mass shooting to sue Army<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1836543\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; More than 100 family members and survivors of Maine&rsquo;s worst mass shooting are planning to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Army for failing to respond to warning signs that the reservist shooter was a threat.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In a letter of intent to sue, attorneys with the four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-collar-law-firms-sponsor-award-for-anti-israel-un-official\/\" title=\"White-collar law firms support award for UN official critical of Israel.\">law firms involved<\/a> in the litigation say the Army was aware of the reservist&rsquo;s mental health deterioration, including suicide-idealization and thoughts of homicide. They say the Army didn&rsquo;t take steps to ensure he received treatment or alert local authorities before he shot and killed 18 people in a bowling alley Oct. 25, 2023, and turned the gun on himself two days later.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is difficult to conceive of a case in which Army personnel could have more warning signs and opportunities to intervene to prevent a service member from committing a mass shooting than what happened in the case of Army Reservist Robert Card,&rdquo; they wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The filing of the letter of intent to sue names the Army, the U.S. Department of Defense, and Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point, is the step in suing the government. The federal agencies will have six months to respond to the legal challenge, after which a lawsuit can be filed.<\/p>\n<p>The threat of litigation comes in the wake of reports suggesting the Army missed opportunities to potentially stop the rampage and a ruling by a federal judge two weeks ago that paved the way for family members and survivors of the Lewiston shooting to access Card&rsquo;s military records.<\/p>\n<p>In the legal filing, the plaintiffs allege that the Army &ldquo;broke its promises, failed to act reasonably, violated its own policies and procedures and disregarded directives and orders&rdquo; by failing to act on Card&rsquo;s mental health issues.<\/p>\n<p>Our hope is that our claims will continue to shine a light on the many lapses and breakdowns that allowed Card to remain in the community with access to weapons of war, despite his well-documented mental illness and threats of violence,&rdquo; Benjamin Gideon, an attorney with of Gideon Asen LLC, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The Lewiston shooting was the worst in Maine&rsquo;s history and drew national attention to the largely rural state, which has the country&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-gov-cuomo-announces-executive-order-declaring-gun-violence-disaster-emergency\/\" title=\"New York Gov. Cuomo Announces Executive Order Declaring Gun Violence \u2018Disaster Emergency\u2019\">lowest crime rate<\/a> but a long record of resisting firearm restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>Card&rsquo;s family members had reportedly alerted the Army and local authorities that he was having mental health issues and was heavily armed. He had been placed in a psychiatric unit about three weeks before the shooting, family members said.<\/p>\n<p>An independent commission created by Gov. Janet Mills concluded there were enough warning signs for local authorities to seize the gunman&rsquo;s weapons under the state&rsquo;s &ldquo;yellow flag&rdquo; law &ndash;&nbsp;meaning officers can take firearms belonging to anyone believed to be a threat to themselves or others &ndash;&nbsp;before the Oct. 25 rampage.<\/p>\n<p>An Army report released in June outlines a series of failures and &ldquo;multiple errors&rdquo; by Card&rsquo;s unit leading up to the shooting. Three officers in Card&rsquo;s reservist unit were disciplined for failing to follow proper procedures, according to the Army&rsquo;s report.<\/p>\n<p>The Army report also faulted local law enforcement for not doing enough, saying investigators could have conducted &ldquo;a more extensive welfare check&rdquo; before the attack and confiscated his firearms.<\/p>\n<p>Members of Maine&rsquo;s congressional delegation have called on the Army to update its procedures for following up with soldiers with mental illness to prevent future &ldquo;tragedies&rdquo; like the Lewiston shooting. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has filed a bill that would require the military to use intervention programs to disarm active members who are deemed a threat to themselves or others.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Mass shootings, like what happened in Lewiston, are an epidemic in America,&rdquo; lawyers wrote in the legal filing. &ldquo;Consequently, those in positions of responsibility and authority are required to appreciate the warning signs and behaviors that telegraph the risk of mass violence, take them seriously, and act to prevent their occurrence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1836543\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1836543\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maine shooting victims to sue Army for ignoring threat signs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2355530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP24017569970509-1024x603.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4367,4585,43109,9148,32747],"class_list":["post-2355529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-army","tag-lawsuit","tag-lewiston","tag-maine","tag-mass-shooting"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP24017569970509-1024x603.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2355529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2355529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2355529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2355530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2355529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2355529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2355529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}