An independent commission is investigating the mass shooting that killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, and will hear testimony from the shooter Robert Card’s family for the first time on Thursday. Card, a 40-year-old Army reservist with a history of mental health issues, opened fire in a bowling alley and a bar and grill in October, which made it the deadliest shooting in Maine's history.
The commission has been holding sessions for months, taking accounts from police, victims, their families, and fellow Army reservists. The shooter’s family has remained largely silent, except for a March statement confirming that an analysis of Card’s brain revealed traumatic injuries.
The commission’s interim report in March criticized law enforcement for failing to seize Card’s guns or place him under protective custody despite warnings from relatives and fellow reservists about his mental state. Card was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after an extensive search. In response to the incident, Maine passed stricter gun control laws and increased funding for mental health services.
The full report from the commission is expected this summer.