HICAGO– The manhunt continued late Thursday for Robert Card, the suspected gunman in the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that killed at least 18 people the night before.
Just Thursday, we learned that Card, 40, was taken in by police for evaluation after acting “erratically” at the United States Military Academy at West Point over the summer.
Investigator Megan Hickey spoke to national and local gun experts on Thursday about what should have happened after the incident.
There was really not enough information Thursday afternoon to make a judgment about what happened in this case. But experts said the mental health incident over the summer could have led to Card being stripped of his ability to own a gun – but not necessarily.
According to a US Army spokesman, Card joined the Army Reserve in 2002 – and doesn’t have any combat experience.
After Card’s erratic behaviour was reported in July, New York State Police took Card to an Army hospital at West Point for evaluation.
The New York Army National Guard would not comment further on that investigation on Thursday. Many have questioned whether Card legally owned the gun seen in the surveillance photos.
“We will be reviewing that information as we go forward, but that’s not an answer we’re prepared to give today,” Maine Public Safety Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said when asked that question.
Lindsay Nichols — federal policy director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence — explained that while we don’t know enough about this particular case, there is a certain threshold required for someone who has been involuntarily committed to have their gun taken away.
“If they’re released before that time or at the hearing – then the court says, ‘This person doesn’t need to be committed, and they’re released – they don’t lose their eligibility to possess,'” Nichols said.
Nichols also pointed to Maine’s so-called “yellow flag” laws. Unlike red flag laws, such as those in Illinois, yellow flag laws require a medical opinion – in addition to a court order based on sworn testimony from a police officer, family member or others – that someone should not have access to guns.
“And because of that, it’s much more difficult to use the law to protect public safety,” Nichols said.
Former Illinois state senator and One Aim Illinois chairman Dan Kotowski said Illinois is one of 22 states with red flag laws that make it easier to raise concerns.
“What matters is the safety of the public,” said the former Illinois state senator.
But Kotowski said there is a lack of education in Illinois about who should report concerns to the state and law enforcement.
“The challenge we face in the state of Illinois and in the country – we only have about 15 percent of the mental health data that should be in the national instant check system,” Kotowski said.
Nichols explained that the state of Maine does not require a permit to carry guns. The state also does not ban high-capacity magazines.
