U.S. Army releases statement to clarify training of gunman wanted in Maine massacre – Law Officer

LEWISTON, Maine – The U.S. Army released a statement on Thursday night to clarify some of the details that were published in a bulletin by Maine State Police regarding Robert Card, the suspect who is wanted for the mass murder at a restaurant and bowling alley Wednesday evening.

A manhunt remains ongoing in the search for Card, 40, the suspect in two mass shootings that left at least 18 people dead and another 13 injured at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, previously known as Sparetime Recreation, and Schemengees Bar & Grille Restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, CBS News reported. 

The Associated Press previously noted that a police bulletin said Card was “a trained firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve stationed out of Saco, ME.”

However, the Army issued a statement indicating the information is not entirely correct. They said Card was not trained as a firearms instructor by the U.S. military, according to the Daily Wire.

“SFC Robert Card is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment in Saco, Maine,” the statement said. “While his unit supported West Point summer training in July of 2023, there are no records to indicate he instructed or participated in any training. The Army did not train SC Card as a firearms instructor, nor did he serve in that capacity for the Army. Due to the Privacy Act and the ongoing investigation, we cannot provide further details.”

“We take matters such as this very seriously, and our primary concern is ensuring that all legal and appropriate actions are taken in accordance with our commitment to upholding the highest standards of conduct among our Soldiers and civilian personnel,” the statement said. “We will continue to collaborate and support local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.”

Moreover, the Army said Card “recently reported mental health issues to include hearing voices and threats to shoot up the National Guard Base in Saco, ME.”

“Card was also reported to have been committed to mental health facility for two weeks during summer 2023 and subsequently released,” the Army added.

Since Card was committed to a mental health facility for a period of weeks, this indicates the treatment was likely involuntary, which means he would have been prohibited from possessing firearms, the Daily Wire reported.

According to the ATF, “Any person who has been ‘adjudicated as a mental defective’ or ‘committed to a mental institution’ is prohibited under Federal law from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing any firearm or ammunition.”

One of Card’s cousins, Michael Mercier, told CBS News Boston that Card has “a lot going on in his head” and referred to him as “schizophrenic.”

A U.S. Army spokesperson told CBS News on Thursday that Card enlisted in the reserves in December 2002 and is trained as a petroleum supply specialist. He has no combat deployments.

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