PORTLAND, Maine — An Army reservist accountable for the deadliest taking pictures in Maine historical past obtained a glowing evaluate from his superiors whilst a few of his relations had been rising more and more nervous about his psychological well being.
The annual analysis from April 2023 indicated Robert Card, 40, of Bowdoin, was “a consummate skilled” who “excelled as a squad chief” and whose mentoring of troops was “among the many finest,” based on the paperwork launched beneath an open data request. Six months later, Card killed 18 folks in a mass taking pictures earlier than killing himself.
The personnel recordsdata additionally present Card had obtained some psychological health-related coaching years earlier when he volunteered to turn out to be certainly one of his unit’s suicide prevention officers and attended related education in 2015-2016.
Card’s final analysis was dated shortly earlier than his ex-wife and son reported to police in Might that he had turn out to be offended and paranoid within the previous months, and had falsely accused his son of claiming issues behind his again.
No disciplinary data had been within the recordsdata launched beneath the federal Freedom of Data Act, however these wouldn’t essentially be turned over with out permission from Card’s household, based on the Portland Press Herald, which first obtained the data.
A number of of Card’s fellow Army reservists are resulting from testify subsequent month to a governor-appointed impartial fee investigating the Oct. 25 shootings, which had been carried out at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston.
Physique digital camera video of police interviews with reservists earlier than Card was hospitalized in upstate New York for 2 weeks final summer season confirmed fellow reservists expressing fear and alarm about his habits. Certainly one of them, a detailed pal of Card’s, later issued a stark warning to his superior officer — six weeks earlier than the assaults — that Card was “going to snap and do a mass taking pictures.”
None of these issues appeared in Card’s personnel report, which dates again to 2002 when he enlisted on the College of Maine.
In his closing evaluate, in April, evaluators mentioned Card, a sergeant top quality, “exceeded requirements” in virtually all areas of his position as a senior coach, together with instruction on using grenades. In brief, Card was “a consummate skilled” with an “approachable, dependable demeanor” who confirmed an “skill to coach future leaders with nice care for his or her security and well-being,” based on the analysis.
The paperwork did not point out issues about Card’s psychological well being. Three months later, Card was hospitalized after pushing a fellow reservist and locking himself in his motel room whereas his unit was coaching close to West Level, New York.
Fellow reservists informed police who escorted Card for an analysis that he’d been appearing paranoid and accusing others of speaking about him behind his again. Card mentioned they had been proper to be nervous: “They’re scared ’trigger I’m gonna friggin’ do one thing. As a result of I’m succesful,” Card informed police.
Card shot himself behind a tractor-trailer at a former employer’s parking zone as authorities led the largest manhunt in state historical past. His physique was discovered two days after he ended the lives of 18 different folks. 13 others had been injured.
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