The Maine State Police have been blasted by a local deputy as “utter clowns” for its response in the immediate aftermath to the mass shootings in Lewiston last week, as it emerged that several major warning signs about suspect Robert Card had been missed in the months prior to the horrific incidents.
In a since-deleted scathing Facebook post, seen by Bangor Daily News before it was taken down, Sgt Jon Guay of Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office claimed local and federal agencies were met with “radio silence” during the manhunt as state troopers took the lead on the case.
Authorities on Monday said that Card’s “concerned” family had alerted the local sheriff about his mental health – and that they were concerned he had access to firearms – in May this year. Records demonstrating how Card “aggressively” discussed guns — in conversations with former recycling plant colleagues and friends — have also surfaced.
The Maine National Guard had also asked local police in September to check on the US Army reservist amid concerns that he would “snap and commit a mass shooting”, according to CNN.
Meanwhile, thousands of Lewiston residents gathered for a vigil on Sunday night to honour those killed.